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Epidemiological survey of infectious agents in free-ranging maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) in Northeastern Brazil

  • Veterinary Microbiology - Research Paper
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Abstract

Infectious diseases are one of the most concerning threats to maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) due to the potential impact on free-ranging populations. The species is currently classified as vulnerable according to the national list of threatened species and occurs mainly in open habitats, such as the Cerrado, a tropical savannah, which comprises its main distribution area in Brazil. In the northeastern region, it occurs in the Cerrado of Bahia, Piauí, Maranhão, and Tocantins states. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the occurrence of infectious agents in Chrysocyon brachyurus through an epidemiological assessment of free-ranging individuals in western Bahia, specifically in the Barreiras microregion, a Cerrado area intensely fragmented and anthropized by agricultural activity. Eleven specimens were evaluated for serological titration, antigen research, and genetic material research for canine distemper virus (CDV), canine parvovirus (CPV), adenovirus-canine-type 1 (CAdV-1), canine coronavirus (CCoV), Leptospira interrogans and Toxoplasma gondii from 2020 to 2022. In addition to maned wolves, domestic dogs were also evaluated and tested. All maned wolves (100%) evaluated by the dot-ELISA technique exhibited immunoglobulin M (IgM) and seven (64%) exhibited immunoglobulin G (IgG) against CDV and CPV, while 100% exhibited IgG against CDV when using the immunochromatographic technique. Regarding CAdV-1, 90% were seropositive for IgG, while 64% exhibited IgG against T. gondii. Nine dogs from the region were also sampled, and all (100%) exhibited IgM and IgG against CDV and CPV. For IgG against T. gondii and against CAdV-1, 90% of the animals were seropositive. Molecular evaluation yielded negative results for all maned wolves and dogs assessed for CAdV-1, CDV, and T. gondii, as well as the CCoV antigen. These data indicate the occurrence of viral agents and Toxoplasma gondii in maned wolves and dogs, suggesting circulation in both populations.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful for the technical and logistical support of the research teams at the local NGO Parque Vida Cerrado and the NGO Jaguaracambé.

Funding

This study received financial support from the Brazilian Fund for Biodiversity (Fundo Brasileiro para a Biodiversidade—FUNBIO), the Humanize Institute and Conservation International (CI).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Associação Parque Vida Cerrado, BR 242, km 870, Zona Rural, Barreiras, Bahia, 47819899, Brazil

    Paula Damasceno Gomes

  2. Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Brasília, Campus Darcy Ribeiro - Asa Norte, Brasília, Distrito Federal, 70910900, Brazil

    Paula Damasceno Gomes & Líria Queiroz Luz Hirano

  3. Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros - CENAP/ICMBio, Estrada Municipal Hisaichi Takebayashi, 8600 - Bairro da Usina, Atibaia, São Paulo, 12952011, Brazil

    Rogério Cunha de Paula

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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Paula Damasceno Gomes: conceptualization, funding acquisition, investigation, methodology, data curation, writing—original draft and writing—review and editing. Líria Queiroz Luz Hirano: formal analysis, methodology, funding acquisition, project administration, supervision, validation and writing – review & editing. Rogério Cunha de Paula: visualization, supervision, validation and writing—review and editing. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

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All applicable institutional and/or national guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. The project was authorized by the Biodiversity Authorization and Information System (SISBIO-ICMBio; 74332–1). It was also approved by the Ethics Committee on Animal Use of the University of Brasília (CEUA-UnB;030/2020).

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Gomes, P.D., Hirano, L.Q.L. & de Paula, R.C. Epidemiological survey of infectious agents in free-ranging maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) in Northeastern Brazil. Braz J Microbiol 55, 933–941 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-023-01231-8

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