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Detection of Trypanosoma evansi in jaguars (Panthera onca): insights from the Brazilian Pantanal wetland

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Abstract

Trypanosoma evansi is a widespread and neglected zoonotic parasite that affects domestic and wild animals, causing a disease commonly known as “surra.” The Brazilian Pantanal wetland is recognized as an enzootic area for this protozoan, yet recognizing the importance of reservoir hosts also in order to prevent zoonotic outbreaks. This study aimed to assess the occurrence of T. evansi in jaguars (Panthera onca) from the Brazilian Pantanal wetland and explore associated clinical and hematological manifestations. A total of 42 animals were screened by PCR and sequenced for species identification when positive. Trypanosoma evansi was detected in six free-ranging jaguars (six positive animals of 42 captures and 16 recaptures), representing the first molecular evidence of such infection in this animal species. Our findings suggest that jaguars may act as reservoir hosts of T. evansi in the Brazilian Pantanal wetland. The better understanding of the role of wildlife in the epidemiology of T. evansi is also of importance to future reintroduction and translocation programs toward wildlife conservation efforts.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Refúgio Ecológico Caiman, Onçafari Association, Log Nature, Zoetis Inc., and Leatherman for the support in the conduction of the study. In addition, the authors thank Viviane Noll Louzada Flores and Livia Perles (University of Bari, Italy) for the support on the molecular analysis.

Funding

This work received support from Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Rio Grande do Sul (FAPERGS) (Finance code:19/2551–0001842–8), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Ní́vel Superior (CAPES) (Finance code 001). The coauthors MABS and DO were supported by the EU funding within the MUR PNRR Extended Partnership initiative on Emerging Infectious Diseases (Project no. PE00000007, INF-ACT). The coauthor JFS is funded by CNPq (Grant #312576/2021-8). This article is based on the development of activities carried out by RFM during the Programa Institucional de Internacionalização (CAPES-PRINT) sandwich doctoral period at the Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Italy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Protozoologia e Rickettsioses Vetoriais, Faculty of Veterinary, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Renata Fagundes-Moreira, Vinicius Baggio-Souza, Joares Adenilson May-Junior, Laura Berger, Lina Crespo Bilhalva, Adeyldes Oliveira Reis & João Fabio Soares

  2. Onçafari Association, São Paulo, Brazil

    Joares Adenilson May-Junior, Leonardo Sartorello & Lilian E. Rampim

  3. Panthera Corporation, New York, USA

    Joares Adenilson May-Junior

  4. Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Italy

    Marcos Antônio Bezerra-Santos & Domenico Otranto

  5. Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong

    Domenico Otranto

Authors
  1. Renata Fagundes-Moreira
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  2. Vinicius Baggio-Souza
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  5. Lina Crespo Bilhalva
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  6. Adeyldes Oliveira Reis
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  8. Lilian E. Rampim
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  9. Marcos Antônio Bezerra-Santos
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  11. João Fabio Soares
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Contributions

RFM: Conceptualization, Investigation, Methodology, Writing—original draft preparation. VBS: Formal Analysis, Methodology, Writing—review and editing. JAMJ: Investigation, Methodology, Writing—review and editing. LB: Conceptualization, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Methodology. LCB: Investigation, Methodology. AOR: Investigation, Methodology. LS: Investigation, Methodology. LER: Investigation, Methodology. MABS: Investigation, Methodology, Writing—review and editing. DO: Conceptualization, Methodology, Supervision, Writing— review and editing. JFS: Conceptualization, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Supervision, Writing—review and editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to João Fabio Soares.

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The procedures herein described were conducted in accordance with the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources-IBAMA (Authorization n. 42093-1) and the Research Committee of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul- Compesq (Authorization n. 38198).

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Fagundes-Moreira, R., Baggio-Souza, V., May-Junior, J.A. et al. Detection of Trypanosoma evansi in jaguars (Panthera onca): insights from the Brazilian Pantanal wetland. Parasitol Res 123, 88 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-023-08101-0

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