Sánchez-Sarmiento Angélica Maria, Ruoppolo Valeria, Muelbert Mônica Mathias, Ferreira Neto José Soares, Catão-Dias José Luiz
Laboratório de Patologia Comparada de Animais Selvagens, Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-270, Brazil.
Dis Aquat Organ. 2020 Dec 17;142:161-170. doi: 10.3354/dao03548.
Brucella spp. and Leptospira spp. antibodies were surveyed in 35 southern elephant seals (SESs) Mirounga leonina at Elephant Island (South Shetland Islands), western Antarctic peninsula, in the Austral summer of 2003 and 2004. The rose Bengal test and a commercial competitive ELISA (c-ELISA) were used to detect Brucella spp. exposure, and the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) with 22 live serovars was used to determine anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies. We found evidence of Brucella spp. exposure in 3 of 35 (8.6%) SESs tested via the c-ELISA displaying high percentage inhibition (PI), similar to other studies in pinnipeds in which Brucella spp. antibodies have been determined. Two of the 3 positives were pups (PI = 70.4 and 86.6%), while the third was an adult female (PI = 48.8%). The 3 c-ELISA positive SESs were additionally tested via the serum agglutination test but were found to be negative. All individuals were negative for antibodies against 22 Leptospira spp. serovars by MAT. These results contribute to the knowledge and monitoring of zoonotic pathogens with epizootic potential in Southern Ocean pinnipeds. Given the potential impact that pathogens may have on the abundance of wild (sometimes threatened and endangered) populations, constant monitoring and surveillance are required to prevent pathogen spread, particularly under forecast climate change scenarios.
2003年和2004年南半球夏季，在南极半岛西部南设得兰群岛的象岛，对35头南象海豹（Mirounga leonina）进行了布鲁氏菌属和钩端螺旋体属抗体检测。采用玫瑰红试验和一种商业竞争ELISA（c-ELISA）检测布鲁氏菌属暴露情况，并用含有22种活血清型的显微镜凝集试验（MAT）检测抗钩端螺旋体属抗体。通过c-ELISA检测，我们在35头接受检测的南象海豹中有3头（8.6%）发现了布鲁氏菌属暴露的证据，其显示出高百分比抑制（PI），这与其他已测定布鲁氏菌属抗体的鳍足类动物研究结果相似。3头阳性海豹中有2头是幼崽（PI分别为70.4%和86.6%），而第三头是成年雌性（PI为48.8%）。对这3头c-ELISA检测呈阳性的南象海豹进一步通过血清凝集试验检测，结果发现为阴性。通过MAT检测，所有个体针对22种钩端螺旋体属血清型的抗体均为阴性。这些结果有助于了解和监测南大洋鳍足类动物中具有动物流行病潜力的人畜共患病原体。鉴于病原体可能对野生（有时是受威胁和濒危）种群数量产生的潜在影响，需要持续进行监测和监视以防止病原体传播，特别是在预测的气候变化情景下。
