Antibody titers against Leptospira sp., in primates from Matecaña zoo, Pereira, Colombia

Objectives. To identify the most frequent serovars of Leptospira sp., in a captive neotropical primate population using the Microagglutination test (MAT), and to evaluate the presence of spirochetes in the drinking water of enclosures using dark-field microscopy. Materials and methods. A point prevalence study was performed in 65 neotropical monkeys using the microagglutination test (MAT) and 21 Leptospira sp., reference strains; observation of spirochetes in water was performed using the dark-field microscopy. Results. The Leptospira sp., seroprevalence was 41.5% (27/65) in neotropical monkeys. Leptospira serovars showing important agglutination were Autumnalis (25%), Ranarum (22.9%), Icterohaemorrhagiae (12.5%), Pomona (12.5%) and Australis (10.4%). Squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus), woolly monkey (Lagothrix lagotricha) and cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus) had non-reactive sera. Spirochetes in drinking water of enclosures were observed. Conclusions. This study shows evidence of the circulation of Leptospira sp., inside the zoo setting, revealing the need of implementing active epidemiological surveillance strategies and educational programs.