FREQUENCY OF LEPTOSPIROSIS IN OVINE SLAUGHTERED IN PATOS, PARAÍBA, BRAZIL

ABSTRACT Placenta, ampulla of the deferent duct, and seminal vesicle samples were collected from 80 sheep slaughtered in the public slaughterhouse of Patos, Paraíba state, Northeastern region of Brazil, for isolation of Leptospira spp., and blood samples were taken from the same animals to check for the presence of anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies. Ellinghausen-McCullough-Johnson-Harris (EMJH) medium modified with the addition of 10% rabbit serum was used for the leptospira isolation, while the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) was used to check for the presence of antibodies. The cultures were observed weekly by dark field microscopy for 16 weeks. Six animals (7.5%) were seropositive by MAT, the serovar Autumnalis being the most frequent, with 5 reactant sera, followed by the serovar Icterohaemorragiae, with 1 reactant serum. A microorganism morphologically similar to Leptospira spp. was isolated from 1 ampulla of the deferent duct sample and 1 placenta sample.