RESUMO: A leptospirose é uma zoonose causada pelo agente etiológico Leptospira. Cães domésticos atuam como hospedeiro de diversos sorovares deste agente. Com intuito de analisar a dinâmica da leptospirose em uma população canina, com e sem imunização, um estudo longitudinal foi realizado avaliando a resposta sorológica destes animais e identificando seus sorovares. Foram coletadas amostras de 331, 373 e 347 cães em três anos consecutivos (2015 a 2017). As soroprevalências foram de 11%, 7% e 14%, respectivamente, e a incidência em 2016 foi de 5% e em 2017 de 14%. Os sorovares mais frequentes foram Cynopteri e Butembo em 2015, Cynopteri, Butembo e Hardjoprajitno em 2016, e Canicola e Butembo em 2017. Estes cães estão atuando como bio-indicadores da presença de Leptospira na região do estudo, incluindo sorovares zoonóticos, e contribuindo com a sua manutenção no ambiente. A soropositividade para sorovares protegidos pela vacina foi mais alta do que nos anos anteriores à imunização, enquanto para os sorovares não protegidos pela vacina diminuiu, demonstrando a importância da imunização para essa população de cães. Medidas de prevenção e controle para a leptospirose, como imunização e controle populacional canino, são recomendadas no local para inibir a transmissão do agente entre as populações de cães e humanos envolvidas.

ABSTRACT: Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Leptospira and domestic dogs can act as host of some serovars. In order to analyze the transmission dynamics in a dog population, with and without immunization, a longitudinal study was carried out with a focus to evaluate antibody response and to identify serovars. Blood samples were collected in three consecutive years (2015 to 2017) from 331, 373 and 347 dogs respectively. The dog seroprevalence in each year was 11%, 7% and 14%, respectively, and the incidence in 2016 was 5% and in 2017, 14%. The most frequent serovars were Cynopteri and Butembo in 2015, Cynopteri, Butembo and Hardjoprajitno in 2016, and Canicola and Butembo in 2017. Dogs can play a role as sentinel animals and hosts of Leptospira serovars. The percentage of seropositive dogs due to vaccination was higher than the previous years without immunization and lower than in previous years for other serovars, which we interpret as evidence for the importance of immunization. These parameters associated with active canine population control are important for prevention and control of leptospirosis not only in dogs but alsoto inhibit the transmission between dogs and humans.

ABSTRACT Although the tuberculin test represents the main in vivo diagnostic method used in the control and eradication of bovine tuberculosis, few studies have focused on the identification of mycobacteria in the milk from cows positive to the tuberculin test. The aim of this study was to identify Mycobacterium species in milk samples from cows positive to the comparative intradermal test. Milk samples from 142 cows positive to the comparative intradermal test carried out in 4,766 animals were aseptically collected, cultivated on Lowenstein-Jensen and Stonebrink media and incubated for up to 90 days. Colonies compatible with mycobacteria were stained by Ziehl-Neelsen to detect acid-fast bacilli, while to confirm the Mycobacterium genus, conventional PCR was performed. Fourteen mycobacterial strains were isolated from 12 cows (8.4%). The hsp65 gene sequencing identified M. engbaekii (n=5), M. arupense (n=4), M. nonchromogenicum (n=3), and M. heraklionense (n=2) species belong to the Mycobacterium terrae complex. Despite the absence of M. tuberculosis complex species in the milk samples, identification of these mycobacteria highlights the risk of pathogen transmission from bovines to humans throughout milk or dairy products, since many of mycobacterial species described here have been reported in pulmonary and extrapulmonary diseases both in immunocompetent and immunocompromised people.

RESUMO: Em áreas onde a tuberculose humana e a tuberculose bovina coexistem, a diferenciação entre M. bovis e M. tuberculosis é importante para monitorar a disseminação de M. bovis entre bovinos e destes para os seres humanos. Objetivou-se neste estudo isolar e identificar M. bovis em bovinos com diagnóstico positivo pelo teste de tuberculinização no estado da Paraíba, nordeste do Brasil. Foram submetidos 32 bovinos positivos ao teste de tuberculinização comparativa, dos quais foram colhidas amostras de qualquer órgão com lesões sugestivas de tuberculose, e, nos casos em que não foram observadas lesões sugestivas, foram colhidas amostras de linfonodos. As amostras foram submetidas a exame histopatológico, cultivo micobacteriológico, coloração de Ziehl-Neelsen e diagnóstico molecular. Apresentaram lesões sugestivas de tuberculose 21 animais (65,6%). Com relação à distribuição das lesões de acordo com a região corporal, 77,7% localizavam-se na cavidade torácica, 12,4% na cabeça e 9,9% na cavidade abdominal. De 55 amostras submetidas ao cultivo de micobactérias, em 31 (56,4%) foram isoladas micobactérias, sendo que em 13 (41,9%) foi identificado M. bovis, e nas 18 restantes (58,1%) foi identificado Mycobacterium spp. Conclui-se que o isolamento e a identificação de M. bovis e Mycobacterium spp. em bovinos indicam que os seres humanos estão expostos ao risco de infecção. Isso reforça a necessidade de intensificação e otimização de medidas de prevenção e controle previstas no Programa Nacional de Controle e Erradicação da Brucelose e Tuberculose Bovina. Sugere-se a realização de estudos de isolamento e identificação de micobactérias em outros estados do Nordeste.

ABSTRACT: In areas where human tuberculosis and bovine tuberculosis coexist, differentiation between M. bovis and M. tuberculosis is important for monitoring the spread of M. bovis among cattle and from cattle to humans. The objective of this study was to isolate and identify M. bovis in bovines with positive diagnosis identified on tuberculin test in the State of Paraíba, Northeastern Brazil. Thirty-two bovines that tested positive in the comparative tuberculin test were used, from which samples of any organ with lesions suggestive of tuberculosis were collected, as well as lymph nodes, when no gross lesions were observed. Samples were submitted to histopathological exam, mycobacterial culture, Ziehl-Neelsen staining and molecular diagnosis. Twenty-one (65.6%) animals presented lesions suggestive of tuberculosis. As to body region 77.7% of lesions were found in the thoracic cavity, 12.4% in the head and 9.9% in the abdominal cavity. Among 55 samples submitted to mycobacterial culture, mycobacteria were isolated in 31 (56.4%), being 13 (41.9%) identified as M. bovis and 18 (58.1%) as Mycobacterium spp. Conclusion is that isolation and identification of M. bovis and Mycobacterium spp. in cattle suggests that humans are exposed to the risk of infection. This reinforces the need for intensification and optimization of prevention and control measures foreseen in the Brazilian National Program for the Control and Eradication of Bovine Brucellosis and Tuberculosis. Mycobacteria isolation and identification surveys are, therefore, encouraged in other Northeastern states.