Leptospirose em suínos de abate: estudo sorológico e histopatológico.

Abstract

Leptospirosis is recognized worldwide for its zoonotic character and for representing an important reproductive disease in farm animals. Serological and histopathological tests are constantly used as a tool for the diagnosis of infection. This study was carried out in pigs slaughtered in the municipality of Patos, State of Paraíba, Brazil, with the objective of determining the frequency of anti-Leptospira spp antibodies, comparing the serological findings with histopathological exams of kidney, liver, ovary and uterus. Microscopic agglutination was performed in 126 animals. Histopathological examinations performed on sections of liver, kidney, ovary and uterus, stained with hematoxylin-eosin (H.E.) were performed in 20 randomly chosen animals, 10 from the group with titers ≥ 100 and 10 from the group with titers < 100). In parallel, a direct survey of leptospires was carried out using the Warthin-Starry technique in kidney samples from all seropositive animals and in the 10 seronegative animals submitted to H.E. Of the 126 animals examined, 18 (14.6%) were seropositive, with a predominance of reactions to serovar Autumnalis (11 animals; 8.73%). Four seropositive animals and two seronegative animals presented inflammatory infiltrate and necrosis of varying degrees in one of the kidneys and in the liver. The examined ovaries and uterus showed no lesions. Direct investigation of leptospires by the Warthin-Starry technique did not reveal positive animals in any sample tested. In view of the seropositivity found (14.6%), it is suggested the importance of raising awareness on the part of producers about the implementation of adequate prevention measures in order to prevent, or at least reduce, the spread of leptospires in swine and, consequently, block the possible transmission of the agent to humans.