Perfil sanitário de onças-pintadas (Panthera onca) de vida livre no Pantanal Sul do Mato Grosso do Sul - Brasil

Abstract

WIDMER, C. E. Health profile of free-ranging jaguars (Panthera onca) in Pantanal, Mato Grosso do Sul State – Brazil. [Perfil sanitario de oncas-pintadas (Panthera onca) de vida livre no Pantanal Sul do Mato Grosso do Sul – Brasil]. 2009. 89 f. Dissertacao (Mestrado em Ciencias) – Faculdade de Medicina Veterinaria e Zootecnia, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, 2009. Few studies have been conducted to investigate the health of free-ranging jaguars. In order to obtain better parameters for clinical evaluation of this endangered species, clinical exams, hemogram, biochemical tests and ecological monitoring were done for 10 jaguars in the Pantanal region – Corumba City, Mato Grosso do Sul State. This project also evaluated the possible role of this species as susceptible, host or sentinel for pathogens of public and/or animal health importance, testing samples from these animals by serological methods to rabies virus, Rickettsia spp. and Ehrlichia canis. All samples and all ticks collected from the jaguars were also tested by polymerase chain reaction to the Anaplasmataceae family and the genera Rickettsia, Borrelia, Coxiella, Hepatozoon and Babesia. This is the first report of hemograms and biochemical profile of a free-ranging jaguar population. Two asymptomatic animals presented low seropositivity for rabies virus, suggesting contact with this pathogen. All jaguars were considered seropositive for Rickettsia spp., and Rickettsia parkeri was sequenced from an Amblyomma triste that was parasitizing one of the animals. A possible new species of the genus Ehrlichia has been identified by DNA sequencing obtained from an Amblyomma triste and an Amblyomma cajenense that were parasitizing jaguars. Four jaguars were considered seropositive for Ehrlichia canis, possibly a cross-reaction with this other species. All jaguars evaluated in this study presented DNA fragments of Cytauxzoon sp., 98% similarity to C. felis in blood samples. In addition, all jaguars presented DNA fragments of Hepatozoon sp., 98% similarity to H. felis in blood samples. In general, these jaguars presented good health.