Investigation of pathogens in Bradypus torquatus, Brazil

Bradypus torquatus is the only sloth species threatened by extinction in South America and is classified as endangered due to extinction due to its severely fragmented and reduced area of occupation. This species is a restricted arboreal mammal, spending much of its time resting in the treetops and descending to the ground only to defecate. Its contact with the soil, other animals and vegetation, shared with various species, and the presence of humans and domestic animals near natural reserves, raises the possibility of dissemination of infectious agents. Due to the scarcity of data and health studies concerning B. torquatus populations, the aim of this study was to identify pathogens in blood samples from B. torquatus in northeastern Brazil. All the individuals were considered healthy in the physical examinations performed by a veterinarian. Out of 42 samples tested for Hepatozoon spp., PCR analysis performed on whole blood detected infection in 11 sloths. All samples tested for Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp., Mycoplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., Babesia spp., and Toxoplasma gondii were negative. No pathogens were found in blood smears. Chromatogram analysis was possible for seven sequences among the eleven positive results for Hepatozoon spp. (64%) and all of these showed mixed chromatogram traces. Thus, the analysis on the consensus sequences showed a single case of 100% genetic similarity to Hepatozoon spp., but with only 29 base pairs. In addition, the analysis on the individual sequences (forward and reverse) detected one animal possibly infected with Hepatozoon canis (reverse strand with 263 bp and 93% similarity). This study provides the first identification of Hepatozoon spp. in B. torquatus and has pioneered research on pathogens in B. torquatus.