Serological and molecular detection of Leptospira spp. in ring-tailed coatis (Nasua nasua) from an Ecological Park

Wild animals often play a role in the transmission of zoonotic pathogens. Among the wild mammals of South America, ring-tailed coatis (Nasua nasua) can present a high frequency of anti-Leptospira antibodies and carry Leptospira spp. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of serum anti-Leptospira antibodies and perform the molecular identification of Leptospira spp. in ring-tailed coatis living in the Tietê River Ecological Park, in southeastern Brazil. Blood and urine samples were obtained from ring-tailed coatis. The serum was tested using the Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT). Urine was cultured in semi-solid Ellinghausen-McCullough-Johnson-Harris medium. The inoculum was cultivated at 28 °C and monitored over six weeks. Total DNA from the blood and urine samples was extracted, and the 16 S rRNA gene and lipL32 were searched by PCR. Of 192 animals, 36 (18.75%) had positive serum samples in the MAT. The most frequent serogroups in MAT were Grippotyphosa (11.46%; 22/192), Autumnalis (7.81%; 15/192) and Cynopteri (2.60%; 5/192). A total of 116 urine samples were obtained. None of the Leptospira spp. were isolated, twelve samples were positive for the 16 S rRNA gene (10.34%), and four were positive for the lipL32 gene (3.4%). These results indicate a high frequency of serum anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies in coatis from the Tietê River Ecological Park and highlight the possibility of their potential role as carriers of pathogenic Leptospira spp. in urine.