Rodrigo Silva Pinto Jorge,1,2,3,4,8 Monicque Silva Pereira,1 Ronaldo Gonc¸alves Morato,1,4,5 Karin C. Scheffer,6 Pedro Carnieli, Jr.,6 Fernando Ferreira,2 Mariana Malzoni Furtado,2,7 Cyntia Kayo Kashivakura,7 Leandro Silveira,7 Anah T. A. Jacomo,7 Edson Souza Lima,4 Roge´ rio Cunha de Paula,1,5 and Joares Adenı´lson May-Junior2,5 |
ABSTRACT: Rabies virus is a pathogen of major concern in free-ranging wild carnivores in several regions of the world, but little is known about its circulation in Brazilian wild carnivores. Sera from 211 free-ranging wild carnivores, captured from 2000 to 2006 in four locations of two Brazilian biomes (Pantanal and Cerrado), were tested for rabies antibodies. Twenty-six individuals (12.3%) had neutralizing antibody titers $0.10 IU/ml. The four sampled locations had antibody-positive animals, suggesting that Rabies virus circulates in all of these regions. Results underscore the risk posed by rabies for conservation of Brazilian carnivores and the possibility of the animals acting as reservoirs for the Rabies virus. Key words: Brazil, conservation, freeranging wild carnivores, public health, rabies, serology. |