Advances in the diagnosis, epidemiology and control of leptospirosis in small ruminants under semiarid conditions

Abstract

The characteristics of the Caatinga, an unique biome, exclusively brazilian and with a great diversity of animal species, offer unique epidemiological conditions that require attention in circumstances different from those of other regions of Brazil and the world. Therefore, these particularities should be analyzed in conjunction with the epidemiology of leptospirosis. Studies in the semiarid region have shown that even during long periods of drought, the disease has a remarkable frequency in herds in the region. This leads to highlighting the role of adapted infections, in which their agent uses alternative routes of direct transmission and, therefore, suffers less interference from environmental adversities. In this context, there is no doubt that in order to advance on the subject of animal leptospirosis, it is necessary to conduct more comprehensive studies involving production animals in order to elucidate epidemiological aspects of diseases present in these populations. Thus, the objective of this project is to promote advances in knowledge related to serological diagnosis, epidemiological aspects and control of leptospirosis in small ruminants kept in semiarid conditions. Two subprojects will be carried out: (I) Characterization of Leptospira spp. from the renal tissue of goats and sheep; and (II) Molecular characterization of Leptospira spp. of sheep and goats in the Brazilian semiarid region. It is hoped, with this project, to obtain more answers about the epidemiology of the disease, with regard to diagnosis, chronicity, determination of the molecular profile and development of control measures. (AU)