Study of zoonotic agents in humans and animals from the Indian village Tapi'itãwa, Tapirapé ethnic group, Confresa, State of Mato Grosso

Abstract

The aim of this project is to study the presence of zoonotic agents in Indians from the Indian Village Tapi'itãwa, Tapirapé ethnic group, in the State of Mato Grosso. Dogs that live with the Indians and also wild animals hunted by the Tapirapé Indians will be screened for the studied zoonosis. With this propose, hole blood samples, with and without anti-clot,' will be obtained from all Indians, and serum will be used to serological tests while whole blood will be applied to molecular biology and isolation of parasites, when possible. The human resident population in this Indian Village is estimated in 620 persons. With serum samples, antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii, Leishmania spp, Rickettsia spp, Borrelia burgdorferi and Ehrlichia spp will be determined. With whole blood samples the presence of Babesia spp, Anaplasma spp and Ehrlichia spp will be surveyed. Positive samples will be submitted to sequencing analysis. From all dogs, whole blood samples will also be collected, with and without anti-clot. Antibodies against T. gondii, Neospora caninum, Leishmania spp, Leptospira spp, Babesia spp, Rickettsia spp, Ehrlichia spp and Borrelia burgdorferi will be determined. The presence of Leishmania spp, Babesia spp, Hepatozoon spp and Ehrlichia spp will be surveyed using PCR techniques, and positive samples will be submitted to sequencing analysis too. Blood samples, excrements and tissue samples from wild animals hunted by the Indians will be collected right after death while taking of the organs, being kept frozen until sending it to the laboratories in São Paulo, where analysis will be done. In the excrements samples, Cryptosporidium spp and Giardia spp will be surveyed by flotation techniques and when diagnosed, it will be analyzed using molecular tools and submitted to sequencing analyses. Tissues will be screened for T. gondii using bioassays in mouses and by PCR techniques, and sequencing to determine the genotypes from the obtained samples will be applied to the positives. Liver, kidney, spleen and lung tissues will be evaluated for the presence of Rickettsiosis (Rickettsia, Ehrlichia and Anaplasma) and also Hepatozoon spp and Babesia spp, by using PCR techniques, and when positive, sequencing analysis will be done. Ticks collected from dogs and hunted animals will be collected and identified to the species level, and also will be submitted to PCR techniques searching for Rickettsia spp. It is expected to obtain information about the presence of zoonotic agents of animal and public health, and with this knowledge we will be able to suggest strategies to the competent authorities (FUNASA'and FUNAI) to control and prevent these diseases. (AU)