Leptospirosis in feral swine and cattle herds in the Brazilian Pantanal

Authors

  • Isabella Fontana Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária, Laboratório de Epidemiologia e Planejamento em Saúde Animal
  • Aiesca Oliveira Pellegrin Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária
  • Ubiratan Piovezan Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária
  • Raquel Soares Juliano Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária
  • Rosielle Campozano Viana Independent Biologist
  • Aline de Oliveira Figueiredo Agência Estadual de Defesa Sanitária Animal e Vegetal de Mato Grosso do Sul
  • Letícia Almeida Retumba Carneiro Monteiro Agência Estadual de Defesa Sanitária Animal e Vegetal de Mato Grosso do Sul
  • Zenaide Maria de Morais Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia
  • Cristiane Vinhaes Gracindo Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária, Laboratório de Patologia Clínica Veterinária
  • Vitor Salvador Picão Gonçalves Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária, Laboratório de Epidemiologia e Planejamento em Saúde Animal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.1678-4456.bjvras.2025.237487

Keywords:

Wildlife-livestock interface, Sus scrofa, Seroprevalence, Leptospira interrogans, One Healt

Abstract

Leptospirosis is an endemic zoonotic disease highly prevalent among cattle and wildlife in the Brazilian Pantanal. Some serovars commonly found in suiform species have been reported in bovine livestock, raising concerns about interspecies transmission. To evaluate the risk that feral swine (Sus scrofa) could pose to local farms in the Pantanal region of Mato Grosso do Sul, a seroepidemiological survey was conducted during the dry seasons of 2010 and 2011. During the survey, a total of 151 feral swine were captured in the subregions of Nhecolândia and Abobral. Blood samples were collected for serological analysis, and 30 animals were randomly euthanized for necropsy. Through microscopic agglutination tests (MAT), we identified 108 positive individuals (71.52%), and Icterohaemorrhagiae, Pomona, and Autumnalis were the most frequently detected serovars, which are usually associated with rodents and domestic swine. Pomona and Autumnalis exhibited the highest titers (up to 1:12,400 and 1:1,600, respectively). With Warthin-Starry staining, Leptospira sp. were observed in renal tubules of two kidney samples. In parallel, 266 bovine serum samples were tested, with 204 (76.69%) testing positive, predominantly for Hardjo, Tarassovi, and Grippotyphosa serovars, which are generally linked to cattle, domestic swine, and rodents. This represents the most extensive study involving free-ranging feral swine sampling in Brazil and reports the highest leptospirosis prevalence found in these animals over the past four decades. Despite the high seropositivity in feral swine, the limited overlap in predominant serovars suggests a low risk of direct transmission to cattle in the region. Therefore, effective control of leptospirosis in livestock in the Brazilian Pantanal should prioritize internal herd management, minimize indirect exposure to contaminated water sources, and reduce rodent presence around facilities. 

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Published

2026-02-09

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Vol. 62 (2025)

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How to Cite

1.
Fontana I, Pellegrin AO, Piovezan U, Juliano RS, Viana RC, Figueiredo A de O, et al. Leptospirosis in feral swine and cattle herds in the Brazilian Pantanal. Braz. J. Vet. Res. Anim. Sci. [Internet]. 2026 Feb. 9 [cited 2026 Feb. 14];62:e237487. Available from: https://revistas.usp.br/bjvras/article/view/237487