A total of 57 captive neotropical felids (one Leopardus geoffroyi, 14 Leopardus pardalis, 17 Leopardus wiedii, 22 Leopardus tigrinus, and three Puma yagouaroundi) from the Itaipu Binacional Wildlife Research Center (Refúgio Bela Vista, Southern Brazil) were anesthetized for blood collection. Feces samples were available for 44 animals, including one L. geoffroyi, eight L. pardalis, 14 L. wiedii, 20 L. tigrinus, and one P. yagouaroundi. Total DNA and RNA were extracted from blood and feces, respectively, using commercial kits. Blood DNA samples were evaluated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) proviral DNA, whereas reverse transcriptase–PCR was run on fecal samples for detection of coronavirus RNA. None of the samples were positive for coronaviruses. A male L. pardalis and a female L. tigrinus were positive for FeLV proviral DNA, and identities of PCR products were confirmed by sequencing. This is the first evidence of FeLV proviral DNA in these species in Southern Brazil.
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1 June 2009
Survey of Feline Leukemia Virus and Feline Coronaviruses in Captive Neotropical Wild Felids from Southern Brazil
Ana M. S. Guimaraes,
Paulo E. Brandão,
Wanderlei de Moraes,
Zalmir S. Cubas,
Leonilda C. Santos,
Laura Y. B. Villarreal,
Rogério R. Robes,
Fabiana M. Coelho,
Mauricio Resende,
Renata C. F. Santos,
Rosangela C. Oliveira,
Mauricio Yamaguti,
Lucas M. Marques,
Renata L. Neto,
Melissa Buzinhani,
Regina Marques,
Joanne B. Messick,
Alexander W. Biondo,
Jorge Timenetsky
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Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine
Vol. 40 • No. 2
June 2009
Vol. 40 • No. 2
June 2009
feline coronavirus
feline leukemia virus
Leopardus pardalis
Leopardus tigrinus
neotropical cats