Prevalence of Leptospira antibodies in wild boars (Sus scrofa) from Northern Portugal: risk factor analysis.

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Resumo
Leptospirosis is a zoonosis of worldwide distribution, caused by infection with pathogenic spirochetes of the genus Leptospira. The wild boar (Sus scrofa), an important hunting species in Europe, seems to play a significant role in the epidemiological cycle of leptospirosis. A total of 101 serum samples from wild boar hunted in Northern Portugal were analysed for leptospiral antibodies detection by microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Sera were collected during hunting seasons (2011-2013) and tested with 17 different pathogenic serovars of Leptospira. Antibodies to nine serovars were detected in 66 (65.4%) of these sera. Serovars Tarassovi and Altodouro exhibited the highest seroreactivity rates (23.8% and 16.8%, respectively), followed by Autumnalis (7.9%) and Bratislava (6.9%). Age and district of origin were found to be risk factors for the presence of leptospiral antibodies in contrast to gender. From a One Health perspective, this study revealed that wild boar should be considered as a potential source of leptospirosis dissemination for human and animals species (domestic and wild) in shared environments, particularly in the Trás-os-Montes region.
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Leptospira , Serology , Leptospirosis , Wild boar , Altodouro , Northern Portugal
Citação
Vale-Gonçalves H. et al., 2014