Inquérito soroepidemiológico para leptospirose em equídeos no Município de Bonito de Santa Fé - PB.

Abstract

Seroepidemiological survey for leptospirosis in equines from the county of Bonito de Santa Fé – PB. In view of the lack of information on leptospirosis seropositivity in equine from the Sertão of Paraíba State, the aim of this survey was to determine the occurrence of anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies in 138 equines in the county of Bonito de Santa Fé - PB, to identify the predominant serovars and the risk factors, as well as to indicate preventive and control measures to owners. For the diagnosis of leptospirosis the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) was used with 24 serovars as antigens. The seropositivity found was 40.6% (56/138). Reactant serovars were Bratislava (36.73%), Icterohaemorrhagiae (14.28%), Wolffi (14.28%), Grippotyphosa (10.2%), Australis (6.12%), Canicola (6.12%), Tarassovi (4.08%), Hardjoprajitno (2.04%), Pomona (2.04%), Castellonis (2.04%) and Hebdomadis (2.04%). The age was identified as risk fator, with 37 to 120 months old (odds ratio = 3.04; P = 0.016) and > 120 months old (odds ratio = 3.40; P = 0.026) animals presenting higher chance to be seropositive. It is concluded that Leptospira spp. infection is spread in equines from Bonito de Santa Fé – PB, with predominance of serovar Bratislava, and that age is a risk factor for its occurrence. The seropositivity found points to the need of implementation of control strategies.