Detection of Brucella spp. and Morbillivirus infection in free-living Amazon river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) spp. in Mamiraua Reserve, in Tefé, Amazonas, Brazil

• Grant number: 12/18065-9
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): December 01, 2012
• Effective date (End): February 28, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal researcher: Lara Borges Keid
• Grantee: Mayra Pereira Rocca
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil

Abstract

There is a growing concern among many countries and international institutions on animal health and conservation on the need to monitor the occurrence and distribution of infectious diseases in wildlife populations. The occurrence of infectious diseases can cause impact on the dynamics and conservation of certain wildlife species, as well as on the health of livestock and public health. Despite the great diversity of the Brazilian fauna there are few studies on the occurrence of infectious diseases in wildlife populations in Brazil. Studies of this nature are important for the ability to elucidate modes of transmission of diseases, predicting the population impact of disease and prevent the emergence of new diseases in wildlife populations, many with impact on conservation and on animal health and human health. In cetacean, brucellosis in caused by B. ceti and the infection was associated with reproductive problems, meningoencephalitis and lymphoid organs infection. Morbillivirus infection has been described in several species of dolphins and porpoises and it has been associated with epidemics with mass mortality. Infectious diseases are barely studied in Brazilian aquatic mammals. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the occurrence of brucellosis in free-living Amazon river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) spp. in Mamiraua Reserve, in Tefé, Amazonas, Brazil. Serological tests will be used to detect anti-Brucella antibodies. Samples of milk, oral, nasal, genital and anal swabs as well as cutaneous lesions will be tested by the microbiological culture and polymerase chain reaction to the direct detection of Brucella spp. and Morbillivirus. (AU)