Surveillance of pathogens in the domestic-wildlife interface of the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest

GOOSSEN, T; PESOLE, D; ALMIRON, R; OROZCO, MM

Conferencia; 53rd AAZV/EAZWV Annual Conference; 2021

The Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest (BAAPA) is a biodiversity hotspot ecoregion and is currently threatened by climate change and land-use transformations, usually accompanied by fragmentation and habitat loss of native species.4 As part of its conservation goals, Itaipu Binacional (IB), a hydropower company, manages eight protected areas in the last natural remnants of the BAAPA. The ongoing expansion of agricultural lands on the edges of IB protected areas, promotes new wildlife-domestic -human interfaces, increasing the risk of disease transmission between these populations, facilitating a potential pathogen spillover.1 Domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) in rural communities represent a potential threat to wildlife conservation through predation, competition, and as a reseviors for pathogen.2 Based on the One Health approach, we performed a rural domestic dog health surveillance at interface areas through a survey of Leishmania infantum, Ehrlichia canis, Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, and Leptospira spp. Simultaneously, in order to assess the circulation of dogs within the protected areas, we analysed recent camera-trap records. Between November 2020 and April 2021, we analyzed serum samples of 89 dogs from rural communities adjacent to protected areas. Preliminary results showed a high seroprevalence for Toxoplasma gondii (74.15%) and Leptospira spp. (Grippotyphosa 78.65%; Canicola 71.91%; Icterohaemorrhagiae 48.31% and Pomona 16.85%) followed by medium seroprevalence for Neospora caninum (33.7%) and Ehrlichia canis (14.6%). Regarding Leishmania infantum, we had only one questionable result, which will be re-assessed by other techniques. Antibodies against Leptospira spp. serovars Tarasovi, Hardjo, Phyrogenes and Wolfii were not identified. Additionally, we were able to detect canine parvovirus in a fecal sample tested by immunochromatography. The camera-trap analysis revealed the presence of dogs within protected areas. These results represent the first findings regarding sanitary surveillance in IB protected areas, in which we provide evidence of the circulation of potentially transmissible pathogens between dogs and wild species, many of them endangered, such as the bush dog (Speothos venaticus).3,5 Interface areas represent important sources of information related to the ecosystem health and should be considered in the epidemiological work of wildlife veterinarians, in order to contribute to management strategies of protected areas.ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThe authors would like to thank ITAIPU Binacional, their protected area?s field technicians and especially park rangers for their engagement with this work.LITERATURE CITED1. Bengis RG, Kock RA, Fischer J. Infectious animal diseases: the wildlife/livestock interface. Rev Sci Tech. 2002 Apr;21(1):53-65. 2. Ellwanger JH, Bogo JA. The triad ?dogs, conservation and zoonotic diseases? ? An old and still neglected problem in Brazil. Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation. 2019;17(3):157-161. 3. Giordano AJ, Giménez D, Martínez V, Rojas V, Saldívar S, Velilla M, Ayala R, López J, Velázquez M, Thompson JJ, Cartes JL, del Castillo H, Mujica N, Weiler A, Villalba L, and Ramírez F. Carnivora: los carnívoros. In: Asociación Paraguaya de Mastozoología y Secretaría del Ambiente. Libro Rojo de los Mamíferos del Paraguay: especies amenazadas de extinción. Asunción. Editorial CREATIO. 2017;95-96.4. Myers N, Mittermeier R, Mittermeier C, Da Fonseca G, Kent J. Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature 2000; 403:853?858. 5. Saldivar S, Martínez V, Guerrero D, Groehn W, Mendoza C, Giordano AJ and Gregory T. First camera trap record of bush dogs in the Paraguayan Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest. Canid Biology and Conservation 2020; 22(3):11-14.