Title
Health assessment of free-ranging three-banded (Tolypeutes matacus) and nine-banded (Dasypus novemcinctus) armadillos in the Gran Chaco, Bolivia
Author(s)
Deem S.L., Noss A.J., Fiorello C.V., Manharth A.L., Robbins R.G., Karesh W.B.
Published
2009
Publisher
Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine
Published Version DOI
https://doi.org/10.1638/2007-0120.1
Abstract
The Gran Chaco, Bolivia, has a total of seven species of armadillos with the three-banded (Tolypeutes matacus) and nine-banded (Dasypus novemcinctus) the most commonly hunted by the local Isoseño-Guarani people. Armadillos are known carriers of zoonotic pathogens, including Mycobacterium leprae, Toxoplasma gondii, and Trypanosoma cruzi; thus human handling and consumption of these species may have a significant public health impact. A health assessment that included physical examinations, hematology, plasma biochemical analyses, levels of exposure to selected infectious agents, and endoparasite and ectoparasite identification was performed on nine-banded and three-banded armadillos in the Gran Chaco, Bolivia. Based on clinical findings, the general health of these armadillos was rated as good. However, many of the nine-banded armadillos (64%) had abrasions and wounds, probably related to the capture method. The blood value results from a subset of these armadillos are presented as baseline values for free-ranging populations of both these species in Bolivia. Serologic antibody tests for M. leprae were negative in three-banded (n = 8) and nine-banded (n = 2) armadillos. Three-banded armadillos were antibody positive for Eastern equine encephalitis virus (8/8; 100%) and Saint Louis encephalitis virus (5/8; 62.5%). Two of 12 (16.7%) three-banded armadillos tested were antigen positive for Dirofilaria immitis. Nine-banded armadillos were antibody positive for T. gondii (3/9; 33.3%), Eastern equine encephalitis virus (5/8; 62.5%), and T. cruzi (2/9; 22.2%). Two of eight (25%) nine-banded armadillos were antigen positive for D. immitis. A number of endo- and ectoparasites were identified in/on both species of armadillos. Results from this study support the possibility that the handling and consumption of these species by the local Isoseño-Guarani people may have a public health impact.
Keywords
bacterium antibody; protozoon antibody; virus antibody; animal; animal disease; animal parasitosis; armadillo; article; bacterial infection; blood; blood analysis; blood examination; Bolivia; disease transmission; epidemiology; female; health status; male; physical examination; physiology; public health; species difference; virus infection; wild animal; zoonosis; Animals; Animals, Wild; Antibodies, Bacterial; Antibodies, Protozoan; Antibodies, Viral; Armadillos; Bacterial Infections; Blood Chemical Analysis; Bolivia; Female; Health Status; Hematologic Tests; Male; Parasitic Diseases, Animal; Physical Examination; Public Health; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Species Specificity; Virus Diseases; Zoonoses GREY BROCKET DEER; TRYPANOSOMA-CRUZI; MYCOBACTERIUM-LEPRAE; POPULATION; PREVALENCE; IXODIDAE; FLORIDA; LEPROSY; TICK

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