Kvapil Pavel, Račnik Joško, Kastelic Marjan, Marková Jiřina, Murat Jean-Benjamin, Kobédová Kateřina, Pittermannová Pavlina, Budíková Marie, Sedlák Kamil, Bártová Eva
Ljubljana Zoo, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, 60200 Brno, Czech Republic.
Pathogens. 2021 Apr 3;10(4):428. doi: 10.3390/pathogens10040428.
Monitoring of infectious diseases is one of the most important pillars of preventive medicine in zoos. Screening for parasitic and bacterial infections is important to keep animals and equipment safe from pathogens that may pose a risk to animal and human health. Zoos usually contain many different animal species living in proximity with people and wild animals. As an epidemiological probe, 188 animals (122 mammals, 65 birds, and one reptile) from a zoo in Slovenia were examined for selected pathogens. Antibodies to and were detected by ELISA in 38% (46/122) and 3% (4/122) of mammals, and in 0% (0/64) and 2% (1/57) of birds, respectively; the reptile (0/1) was negative. A statistically significant difference in prevalence was found in Carnivora compared to Cetartiodactyla and primate antibodies to were detected by IFAT in 44% (52/118) of mammals and 20% (11/56) of birds, respectively; the reptile (0/1) was negative. Herbivores had a higher chance of being infected with compared to omnivores. Antibodies to and were not detected in any of the 74 tested zoo animals. The sera of 39 wild rodents found in the zoo were also examined; they were negative for all three parasites. The parasite was detected by PCR in the tissue of two mute swans (), three eastern house mice (), one yellow-necked field mouse ), and one striped field mouse (). Positive samples were genotyped by a single multiplex PCR assay using 15 microsatellite markers; one sample from a mute swan was characterized as type II. This micro-epidemiological study offers a better understanding of pathogens in zoo animals and an understanding of the role of zoos in biosurveillance.
传染病监测是动物园预防医学最重要的支柱之一。筛查寄生虫和细菌感染对于保护动物和设备免受可能对动物和人类健康构成风险的病原体侵害至关重要。动物园通常饲养着许多不同的动物物种，它们与人类和野生动物生活在一起。作为一项流行病学调查，对斯洛文尼亚一家动物园的188只动物（122只哺乳动物、65只鸟类和1只爬行动物）进行了特定病原体检测。通过ELISA检测，分别在38%（46/122）的哺乳动物和3%（4/122）的鸟类中检测到针对[具体病原体1]和[具体病原体2]的抗体，而在鸟类中分别为0%（0/64）和2%（1/57）；那只爬行动物（0/1）检测为阴性。与偶蹄目动物相比，食肉目动物中[具体病原体1]的流行率存在统计学显著差异，通过间接荧光抗体试验（IFAT）分别在44%（52/118）的哺乳动物和20%（11/56）的鸟类中检测到针对[具体病原体3]的抗体；那只爬行动物（0/1）检测为阴性。与杂食动物相比，食草动物感染[具体病原体3]的几率更高。在74只接受检测的动物园动物中，未检测到针对[具体病原体4]和[具体病原体5]的抗体。还对在动物园中发现的39只野生啮齿动物的血清进行了检测；它们对所有三种寄生虫检测均为阴性。通过PCR在两只疣鼻天鹅（[具体物种1]）、三只东方田鼠（[具体物种2]）、一只黄颈姬鼠（[具体物种3]）和一只条纹田鼠（[具体物种4]）的组织中检测到[具体寄生虫]。使用15个微卫星标记通过单一多重PCR分析对阳性样本进行基因分型；一只疣鼻天鹅的样本被鉴定为II型。这项微观流行病学研究有助于更好地了解动物园动物中的病原体，并有助于理解动物园在生物监测中的作用。
