Abstract
In the current context of deforestation and fire in the Amazon, buffaloes could be a cost-effective and sustainable alternative for cattle production in the region, as they can convert low-quality foods and be raised in floodplain areas. However, little is known about the reproductive diseases that affect these animals; thus, the purpose of this study was to perform the molecular characterization of Leptospira spp. in the urogenital tract of water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) raised in the Amazon River Delta region in Brazil. Samples were collected from 114 kidneys, 204 ovaries, and 160 uterine swabs of slaughtered buffaloes in the Macapá microregion of Amapá State (Brazil) and were subjected to PCR to detect bacterial DNA. Positive amplicons were sequenced to identify Leptospira species. Among the total samples, 11/473 were PCR positive (2.3%), including 10 kidney samples and one uterine swab sample. DNA sequencing identified two pathogenic species from the kidney samples: L. interrogans, accounting for 60.0% (6/10) of these samples, and L. borgpetersenii, accounting for 20.0% (2/10), while 20.0% (2/10) were identified only at the genus level. The bacterium in the uterine swab sample was identified as L. interrogans with genetic proximity to strains belonging to the serovar Hardjo. This is the first report of leptospires species identified in buffaloes from the Amazon River Delta region and revealed that these animals may be carriers of different pathogenic Leptospira species, similar to bovines, including showing genital colonization.
Highlights
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects humans and several species of domestic and wild animals and is considered a zoonosis [1]
The genus Leptospira can be considered to be dynamic and diversified in relation to the species it includes; with the advancement of molecular methodologies, it has been possible to define 64 species, which are divided into two major clades, one of which contains pathogenic species, while the other contains saprophytes, leading to a new proposal for Pathogenic Leptospires in Buffaloes From the Amazon the systematic classification of the genus [2]
The positive uterine swab sample was identified as L. interrogans by the partial sequencing of the secY gene (GenBank accession number: MN723893) and showed genetic proximity to strains belonging to the serovar Hardjo (Figure 3)
Summary
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects humans and several species of domestic and wild animals and is considered a zoonosis [1]. The genus Leptospira can be considered to be dynamic and diversified in relation to the species it includes; with the advancement of molecular methodologies, it has been possible to define 64 species, which are divided into two major clades, one of which contains pathogenic species, while the other contains saprophytes, leading to a new proposal for Pathogenic Leptospires in Buffaloes From the Amazon the systematic classification of the genus [2]. The serological classification of leptospires is still accepted and is the basis of serological assays such as the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), in which a limited number of serovars that represent prevalent serogroups for a specific region are used [1, 3]. Due to the difficulties in isolating leptospires from biological samples, direct DNA sequencing from PCR products is used, which allows the identification of leptospires at the species level, providing a new epidemiological analysis of the disease [7,8,9]
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