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Molecular and serological investigation of infectious diseases in captive and free-range crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous — Linnaeus, 1776) from northeastern Brazil

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to detect DNA and antibodies anti-Leishmania spp., Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii in captive and free-range crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous) from northeastern Brazil. Twenty-five crab-eating foxes from different states of northeastern Brazil were sampled by this study. Blood samples were collected by cephalic or jugular vein punctures. The whole blood was submitted to PCR, and the sera samples to the serological analysis as follows: MAT for T. gondii, NAT for N. caninum, and ELISA for L. chagasi. The frequence of antibodies anti-T. gondii was 50% and 29.41% for free-range and captive wild canids, respectively. The frequence of antibodies anti-N. caninum observed by this study was 62.50% and 23.52% for free-range and captive wild canids, respectively. The frequence of antibodies anti-L. chagasi was 4.0% for captive wild canids. Co-infections cases were identified as follows: one captive wild canid seropositive for T. gondii and L. chagasi and two free-range animals seropositive for T. gondii and N. caninum. All PCR assays performed were negative for the pathogens analyzed. This study describes the presence of antibodies anti-T. gondii, N. caninum e L. chagasi in wild canids from northeastern Brazil and highlights the necessity of further studies on infectious diseases in free-range and captive wild canids.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Infectious-Contagious Diseases of Domestic Animals, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil

    Jonatas C. Almeida, Renata P. B. Melo, Pomy C. P. Kim & Rinaldo A. Mota

  2. Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Parasitology and Epidemiology, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil

    Neurisvan R. Guerra & Leucio C. Alves

  3. Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Av. Universitária, S/N, 58700-970, Patos, PB, Brazil

    Diego F. Costa & Clebert José Alves

  4. Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Fazenda São Luís, 57000-000, Viçosa, AL, Brazil

    Wagnner J. N. Porto

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  1. Jonatas C. Almeida
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  2. Renata P. B. Melo
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Almeida, J.C., Melo, R.P.B., Kim, P.C.P. et al. Molecular and serological investigation of infectious diseases in captive and free-range crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous — Linnaeus, 1776) from northeastern Brazil. Acta Parasit. 63, 184–189 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1515/ap-2018-0021

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