Pathogenic <i>Leptospira</i> spp. DNA detection in goats from the Caatinga biome

Portela, R. A.; Lima, L. A.; Barnabé, N. N. C.; Silva, M. L. C. R.; Limeira, C. H.; Silva, J. V.; Pedrosa, L. F. A.; Magalhães, N. A.; Alves, C. J.; Brasil, A. W. L.; Santos, C. S. A. B.; Azevedo, S. S.

doi:10.1590/1519-6984.309040

Abstract

In the Caatinga biome, leptospirosis in livestock has been widely investigated due to environmental characteristics that challenge the transmission and persistence of Leptospira spp. infection in this animal group. This study aimed to investigate evidence of Leptospira spp. exposure and carriage in slaughtered goats using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) in serum samples and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the genital and urinary tracts samples, considering seasonal dynamics of the pathogen potential in the Caatinga biome. At a slaughterhouse located in the Caatinga biome region, fluid and organ samples were collected from 90 goats. Serum samples were submitted to MAT, whereas urine, cervicovaginal mucus (CVM), and tissue samples from the urinary and reproductive tracts (kidney, bladder, uterus, oviduct, and ovary) were subjected to PCR assay. In the MAT, a cutoff point of 1:50 was adopted, with 23 (25.6%) goats testing positive, with no significant difference between the dry and rainy seasons. The most frequent serogroup was Icterohaemorrhagiae. In the PCR assay, 16 goats [17.8%; 95% CI = 9.9–25.7%] tested positive, presenting at least one tissue or fluid sample positive for Leptospira spp. DNA, totaling 97/630 (15.4%) positive samples. The highest frequency of PCR positivity was observed during the rainy season and involved samples from both the urinary and reproductive tracts. The detection of pathogenic Leptospira spp. DNA in goats at the slaughter line suggests the possible presence of PCR-positive animals on the farms of origin. Furthermore, the identification of pathogenic Leptospira spp. DNA in fluids and tissues of the genital and urinary tracts suggests a potential occupational exposure risk, especially for slaughterhouse workers handling carcasses and offal of infected goats in the Caatinga biome.

Keywords:
PCR; slaughterhouse; serology; leptospirosis; semi-arid

Resumo

No bioma Caatinga, a leptospirose em animais de produção tem sido amplamente investigada devido às características ambientais que desafiam a transmissão e a persistência da infecção por Leptospira spp. nesse grupo animal. Este estudo teve como objetivo investigar evidências de exposição e de estado de portador de Leptospira spp. em caprinos abatidos, utilizando o teste de soroaglutinação microscópica (MAT) em amostras de soro e a reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) em amostras dos tratos genital e urinário, considerando a dinâmica sazonal do potencial de circulação do patógeno no bioma Caatinga. Em um abatedouro localizado na região do bioma Caatinga, foram coletadas amostras de fluidos e órgãos de 90 caprinos. As amostras de soro foram submetidas ao MAT, enquanto amostras de urina, muco cervicovaginal (MCV) e tecidos dos tratos urinário e reprodutivo (rim, bexiga, útero, oviduto e ovário) foram submetidas à PCR. No MAT, adotou-se um ponto de corte de 1:50, sendo 23 (25,6%) caprinos soropositivos, sem diferença significativa entre as estações seca e chuvosa. O sorogrupo mais frequente foi Icterohaemorrhagiae. Na PCR, 16 caprinos [17,8%; IC 95% = 9,9–25,7%] apresentaram resultado positivo, com pelo menos uma amostra de tecido ou fluido positiva para DNA de Leptospira spp., totalizando 97/630 (15,4%) amostras positivas. A maior frequência de positividade na PCR foi observada durante a estação chuvosa e envolveu amostras provenientes tanto do trato urinário quanto do trato reprodutivo. A detecção de caprinos PCR-positivos para Leptospira spp. patogênicas na linha de abate sugere a possível presença do DNA da bactéria em animais nas propriedades de origem. Além disso, a identificação de DNA de Leptospira spp. patogênicas em fluidos e tecidos dos tratos genital e urinário indica potencial risco de exposição ocupacional, especialmente para trabalhadores de abatedouros que manipulam carcaças e vísceras de caprinos infectados no bioma Caatinga.

Palavras-chave:
PCR; abatedouro; sorologia; leptospirose; semiárido

1. Introduction

Leptospirosis is an important zoonotic disease prevalent in ruminants worldwide, leading to significant economic losses (Ellis, 2015; Loureiro and Lilenbaum, 2020). Infection occurs mainly through contact with the urine of infected animals; however, direct and indirect contact with fluids and organs of the genitourinary tract of domestic animals has also been identified as a transmission route (Ajayi et al., 2020; Nogueira et al., 2020a). In small ruminants, leptospirosis is predominantly asymptomatic or subclinical, making these animals crucial silent reservoirs that sustain pathogen transmission (Ali et al., 2019; Almeida et al., 2019).

The worldwide prevalence of leptospirosis in goats is 18.6%, involving 16 serogroups, the most frequent being Icterohaemorrhagiae, Autumnalis, Sejroe, Australis, and Pomona (Portela et al., 2024). Infection in goats largely depends on opportunities for exposure to microorganisms in their natural and habitual environment (Lilenbaum et al., 2008). In this context, the involvement of different serogroups of Leptospira spp. highlights an epidemiological concern related to the close proximity between animals and humans (Aymeé et al., 2022; Soares et al., 2023).

The presence of leptospirosis in goats, as well as in other production and free-living animals, has been reported in epidemiological studies conducted in different states within the Caatinga biome, such as Paraíba, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, and Sergipe (Araújo et al., 2023; Barnabé et al., 2023; Nogueira et al., 2020a; Santos et al., 2017; Soares et al., 2023; Viana et al., 2022). However, no studies have used sample size calculations considering both the rainy and dry seasons. The Caatinga, a vast semi-arid biome in northeastern Brazil characterized by prolonged droughts, high solar radiation, and low soil water availability (Brasil, 2022; Silva et al., 2017), imposes severe environmental constraints on the survival of Leptospira spp. outside its hosts (Faine et al., 1999).

The agent’s adaptation to hostile environments (Viana et al., 2022) may be associated with direct transmission through the venereal route, since this route is not influenced by environmental conditions and depends primarily on the host animal (Ellis, 2015). Evidence of leptospires in the genital tract of sheep and goats demonstrates the importance of this extra-renal site in the epidemiology of the infection (Nogueira et al., 2020b; Soares et al., 2022).

For diagnosis, the combined use of serological and molecular techniques is capable of detecting carrier goats (Lilenbaum et al., 2009), and the association of direct techniques applied to different tissues and fluids from the genital and urinary tracts makes the diagnosis more reliable by reducing false-negative rates and identifying carrier animals (Nogueira et al., 2020a; Silva et al., 2019). Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate evidence of exposure and carriage of Leptospira spp. in slaughtered goats through microscopic agglutination testing (MAT) applied to serum samples and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of genital and urinary tracts samples in the Caatinga biome.

2. Material and Methods

2.1. Sampling and biological sample collection

The animals evaluated originated from the Caatinga biome and were slaughtered in a public slaughterhouse located in the municipality of Patos, Paraíba (07°01’28” S; 37°16’48” W). Samples were collected in 2022, a period during which the region exhibited a rainfall index of 360 mm, with the rainy season occurring between January and May and the dry season between July and December (AESA, 2023). Vaccination against leptospirosis is not practiced on goat farms in the Caatinga biome. Biological samples were collected in May and November, corresponding to the rainy and dry seasons, respectively.

The minimum sample size was calculated for both seasons using the Formula 1 for comparing two proportions (Dohoo et al., 2003):

n = \frac{{(Z_{a / 2} x \sqrt{p_{1} x q_{1} + p_{2} x q_{2}} + Z_{1 - β} x \sqrt{p_{1} x q_{1} + p_{2} x q_{2}})}^{2}}{{(p_{1} - p_{2})}^{2}}

(1)

where: n = minimum sample size; $Z_{a / 2}$ = 1.96 (Z-value for a 95% confidence level); $Z_{1 - β}$ = 1.64 (Z-value for a 95% statistical power); $p_{1}$ = 0.474 (estimate of the proportion in the rainy season) (Martins et al., 2012); $p_{2}$ = 0.112 (estimate of the proportion in the dry season) (Costa et al., 2016); $q_{1}$ = 1 – $p_{1}$ ; $q_{2}$ = 1– $p_{2}$ .

According to the sample size calculation, a minimum of 39 animals was required; however, 45 animals were used per season. All animals were adult crossbred females with no clinical history of leptospirosis and destined for slaughter. To obtain serum, blood samples were collected during exsanguination using sterile 8 mL tubes containing a clot activator. Urine was collected by bladder puncture using a sterile 5 mL syringe, and cervicovaginal mucus (CVM) was obtained using a sterile swab after access to the monoblock containing the vulva, vagina, uterus, ovary, bladder, rectum, and anus. Urine samples were deposited directly into DNA- and RNA-free microtubes. The swab containing CVM was stored in DNA- and RNA-free microtubes containing sufficient lysis solution to cover the cotton tip. Samples from the right kidney, bladder, oviduct, uterine body, and ovary were processed in situ in an environment prepared to minimize sample contamination using a Bunsen burner and individual sterile materials. Fragments of approximately 1 g were deposited into DNA- and RNA-free microtubes. All samples were transported to the Laboratory of Transmissible Diseases (LDT) at the Federal University of Campina Grande (UFCG) for processing and stored at -20 °C.

2.2. Serological test

Detection of anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies was performed using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) with a panel of 24 serovars belonging to 18 pathogenic serogroups from five species: L. interrogans: serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae (serovars Copenhageni and Icterohaemorrhagiae), Canicola (serovar Canicola), Autumnalis (serovar Autumnalis), Sejroe (serovars Wolffi and Hardjoprajitno), Bataviae (serovar Bataviae), Pomona (serovar Pomona), Hebdomadis (serovar Hebdomadis), Pyrogenes (serovar Pyrogenes), Australis (serovars Australis and Bratislava), and Djasiman (serovar Sentot); L. santarosai: serogroups Sejroe (serovar Guaricura) and Shermani (serovar Shermani); L. borgpetersenii: serogroups Sejroe (serovar Hardjobovis), Javanica (serovar Javanica), Celledoni (serovar Whitcombi), Tarassovi (serovar Tarassovi), and Ballum (serovar Castellonis); L. kirschneri: serogroups Grippotyphosa (serovar Grippotyphosa), Autumnalis (serovar Butembo), and Cynopteri (serovar Cynopteri); and L. noguchii: serogroup Panama (serovar Panama). Screening was performed using an initial titer of 50 (≥ 50, cutoff point). This cutoff was selected based on previous studies demonstrating its superior performance in detecting anti-Leptospira antibodies in carrier sheep and goats, respectively (Nogueira et al., 2020a; Soares et al., 2022), and the highest titer obtained was considered for identification of the infecting serogroup (WOAH, 2021).

2.3. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

DNA extraction from urine, CVM, ovary, uterine body, oviduct, bladder, and right kidney samples followed the recommendations of the DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit manufacturer (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany). Specific primers for pathogenic leptospires, LipL32-45F (5′-AAG CAT TAC CGC TGG TG-3′) and LipL32-286R (5′-GAA CTC CCA TTT CAG CGA TT-3′), described by Stoddard et al. (2009), were used. The primers were used at a concentration of 0.2 µM, with 2.0 U of Taq polymerase, 1.5 µM MgCl₂, and 0.2 mM dNTPs, in a final volume of 50 µL. An initial denaturation cycle was performed at 94 °C for two minutes, followed by 35 cycles of denaturation at 94 °C for 30 s, primer annealing at 53 °C for 30 s, and extension at 72 °C for one minute, with a final extension at 72 °C for five minutes. PCR products were analyzed by electrophoresis on a 2% ultrapure agarose gel stained with Evans Blue (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA) using a 100 bp marker, and DNA bands (~260 bp) were visualized under ultraviolet light. The Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni strain Fiocruz L1-130 (ATCC BAA-1198) was used as a positive control, and ultrapure water was used as a negative control.

2.4. Statistical analysis

The frequency of positive animals in the MAT and PCR tests was estimated considering a 95% confidence interval (95% CI). To compare the proportion of positive animals/samples between the dry and rainy seasons, the chi-square test was used (Ayres et al., 2007), deeming a significance level of 5% (α = 0.05).

3. Results

Of the 90 goats evaluated, 23 were seroreactive for Leptospira spp., corresponding to a frequency of 25.6% (95% CI = 16.6-34.6%). The reactive serogroups were Icterohaemorrhagiae (39.1%), Ballum (21.7%), Autumnalis (21.7%), Cynopteri (8.7%), Celledoni (4.3%), and Shermani (4.3%). During the rainy season, 14 animals (31.1%) were seropositive, with the Ballum serogroup being the most frequent (35.7%). During the dry season, nine goats (20%) were seropositive, with Icterohaemorrhagiae being the most frequent serogroup (77.8%) (Table 1). There was no significant difference between the proportions of seropositive animals in the dry and rainy seasons (P > 0.05).

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Table 1
Distribution of serogroups and antibody titers of Leptospira spp., determined by MAT, in adult goats slaughtered in the Caatinga biome, according to the season.

Among the 630 samples collected from 90 animals, Leptospira spp. DNA was detected in 97 (15.4%) tissue/fluid samples from 16 animals (17.8%; 95% CI = 9.9-25.7%). One or more positive samples were identified in both the urinary and reproductive tracts. During the rainy season, 15 animals (33.3%) tested positive, whereas only one animal (2.2%) tested positive during the dry season, with a significant difference between seasons (P < 0.001) (Tables 2 and 3). No significant difference was observed between tracts. Two animals, 13 and 52, were positive only in the reproductive tract.

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Table 2
Results of MAT and PCR according to biological material in adult goats slaughtered in the Caatinga biome, in the rainy season.

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Table 3
Results of MAT and PCR according to biological material in adult goats slaughtered in the Caatinga biome, in the dry season.

4. Discussion

The study of Leptospira spp. in slaughtered production animals is a strategic approach because it integrates sanitary surveillance, food safety, and occupational health at a single point in the production chain, as the identification of transmission foci reflects pathogen circulation at the One Health interface. In this study, the seropositivity frequency of 25.6% reinforces the wide distribution of Leptospira spp. in goats in the Caatinga biome. In regions with similar climatic conditions, seroprevalences of 14.4%, 12.75%, 16.2%, 62%, and 7.2% have been reported in Mexico, Iran, Colombia, Tanzania, and Argentina, respectively (Chávez-Sánchez et al., 2025; Guzman-Barragan et al., 2021; Mgode et al., 2021; Ramin et al., 2023; Suarez et al., 2020). Indeed, climatic adversity is not a determining factor for the occurrence of infection, as alternative transmission routes can maintain the incidence of infection in environments with conditions unfavorable to the agent’s survival (Viana et al., 2022). In sheep, it has been suggested that the use of crossbred animals may lead to an underestimation of seropositivity, possibly reflecting differences in seroconversion period, including variations in the duration or intensity of detectable antibody titers (Costa et al., 2016; Costa et al., 2018). Additionally, chronically infected animals may remain seronegative or exhibit low titers in MAT due to the bacterium’s adaptability to the host and its ability to evade the immune system, making leptospiral detection challenging (Nally et al., 2018). Thus, the frequency of 25.6% in the present study should be interpreted with caution, as it may underestimate the true level of exposure. In this context, a cutoff point of ≥ 1:50 was used in MAT, as recommended by Nogueira et al. (2020a), Soares et al. (2022), and Barnabé et al. (2023), due to the higher diagnostic sensitivity of the technique compared to a cutoff of ≥ 1:100. Barnabé et al. (2023) have highlighted the importance of reducing the number of false-negative results through the use of a cutoff point equal to or even lower than 1:50 in the Caatinga biome. Standardization of a ≤ 1:50 cutoff appears appropriate for crossbred goats from the Caatinga biome, as it accounts for the environmental and animal-specific characteristics of the region in the context of leptospirosis dynamics. Lower cutoff points have also been used in goats, such as 1:25 (Padilha et al., 2025) and 1:20 (Mgode et al., 2021; Saranya et al., 2021), yielding high positivity rates (71.7%, 37.4%, and 62%, respectively). Nonetheless, lowering the threshold inherently increases sensitivity at the expense of specificity, potentially introducing false-positives due to cross-reactivity or residual antibodies, and while 1:50 is used in specific regional studies, it constitutes a lower threshold than the standard international consensus (1:100), which may have artificially inflated the seroprevalence.

There was no significant difference in seropositive individuals between seasons, corroborating findings in sheep from the Caatinga biome (Nogueira et al., 2020a). The Icterohaemorrhagiae serogroup was most frequent in the dry season, a period characterized by forage scarcity and increased use of stored commercial feed, which attracts rodents. Globally, the most important infections are associated with the Icterohaemorrhagiae serogroup, primarily maintained by rodents such as Rattus rattus (Ko et al., 2009). In addition to veterinary relevance, this serogroup is of public health concern due to its association with human disease (Viana et al., 2022).

During the rainy season, the Ballum serogroup showed the highest frequency, although its involvement in goats is not commonly reported. Seropositivity for Ballum in goats in Morocco and India has been associated with rodent exposure (Benkirane et al., 2016; Saranya et al., 2021). It is noteworthy that the five goats positive for this serogroup reacted to the Castellonis serovar, which circulates among wild animals, including the guinea pig (Cavia aperea), widely distributed in the study region (Alves et al., 1996). Additionally, during the rainy season, when pasture availability is higher, animals commonly graze for extended periods alongside other species. Contact with sheep has been widely reported as one of the main risk factors for leptospirosis in goats (Portela et al., 2024), suggesting another possible route of exposure to Ballum, which has been frequently identified in sheep (Costa et al., 2016; Santos et al., 2022).

The 17.8% PCR positivity rate indicates that Leptospira spp. DNA was detected in goats at the slaughter line, suggesting that farms of origin may also have animals with pathogenic Leptospira spp. molecular evidence of carriage. The rainy season showed the highest PCR positivity, with no significant difference between reproductive and urinary tracts, indicating potential simultaneous transmission via urinary and venereal routes, which may facilitate dissemination of the agent. Seasonality was identified as a factor influencing the detection of Leptospira spp. DNA during the rainy season; however, this pattern is not consistently observed in studies within the Caatinga biome. As observed by Barnabé et al. (2023) in cattle and Nogueira et al. (2020a) in sheep, a high frequency of positive cases was also reported during the dry season, suggesting the possible role of venereal transmission.

The presence of positive animals in both dry and rainy seasons indicates that leptospirosis in semi-arid regions follows distinct epidemiological dynamics. The detection of a PCR-positive goat in CVM during the dry season reinforces the importance of environmentally independent transmission routes in maintaining the infectious cycle (Nogueira et al., 2020a,b). However, indirect transmission may be constrained by environmental conditions. PCR-based detection frequency was lower than serological results. As with MAT, several factors may contribute to underestimation, and negative PCR results may reflect bacterial loads below the detection limit (Latosinski et al., 2018).

Leptospiral DNA was simultaneously detected in tissues and fluids of the genital and urinary tracts in 13 of the 15 PCR-positive animals during the rainy season (86.7%), suggesting a high degree of multi-organ colonization and reinforcing the comparable epidemiological role of both systems in Leptospira spp. carriage in the Caatinga biome, as also reported by Soares et al. (2022). In two animals, reproductive tract tissues were PCR-positive independently of the urinary tract, a pattern consistent with chronic infection (Ellis, 2015). Due to limitations inherent to slaughterhouse sampling (absence of clinical and reproductive history), it was not possible to confirm the clinical status of asymptomatic animals.

Genital tract sampling may provide complementary molecular diagnostic information, particularly in animals in which urinary samples are PCR-negative, with possible reduction of false negatives associated with intermittent bacterial shedding (Rocha et al., 2017; Aymeé et al., 2025). In two animals, PCR positivity was detected in reproductive tract samples with no corresponding urinary tract detection. Therefore, CVM sampling supports the direct detection of the agent in the reproductive tract, as emphasized in cattle and sheep (Costa et al., 2018; Loureiro and Lilenbaum, 2020).

Considering the direct and indirect transmission potential of leptospirosis to humans and its high zoonotic relevance, the adoption of integrated prevention in slaughterhouse settings is essential, in accordance with One Health principles. In this context, failures in the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the shared use of water across sectors may favor pathogen dissemination, reinforcing the need for biosafety measures, such as proper PPE use and water disinfection with 2.5% sodium hypochlorite (1ml /10L). Furthermore, knowledge of the bacterium’s epidemiology, ecology, and pathogenesis has practical implications for disease prevention, surveillance, and control (Sohm et al., 2023), and is essential for addressing health challenges at the human-animal-environment interface within a One Health framework (Nzietchueng et al., 2023).

This study has some limitations that should be considered when interpreting the findings. All samples were collected from a single public slaughterhouse in Patos, Paraíba, and the animals likely originated from the same micro-region or a limited number of surrounding farms. Therefore, the observed differences between the rainy and dry seasons may reflect local climatic conditions, livestock management practices, and epidemiological characteristics specific to this region rather than the full environmental heterogeneity of the Caatinga biome. Consequently, caution should be exercised when extrapolating these findings to the entire biome. Although the results provide valuable insights into the seasonal dynamics of Leptospira spp. under semiarid conditions, broader conclusions will require studies encompassing multiple geographic areas and production systems across the Caatinga.

5. Conclusion

The detection of Leptospira spp. DNA in fluids and tissues of the genital and urinary tracts suggests potential dissemination of the pathogen through environmental contamination, as well as supports the potential role of the reproductive tract in the epidemiology of Leptospira spp. in goats from the Caatinga biome, highlighting the role of goats as carriers in the regional epidemiological cycle, particularly during the rainy season. Furthermore, the detection of leptospiral DNA in fluids and tissues of the genital and urinary tracts suggests a potential occupational exposure risk particularly for slaughterhouse workers handling carcasses and offal, which is in line with the One Health approach.

Acknowledgements

Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa do Estado da Paraíba (FAPESQ) (financial code: 47340.673.29278.09082021) and the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) (financial code: 310766/2020-6).

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

Ethics and consent

This study was approved by the Animal Use Ethics Committee of the Federal Institute of Paraíba (IFPB), under protocol no. 23000.000627.2021-07.

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*

e-mail: sergio.santos@professor.ufcg.edu.br

Editor:

Takako Matsumura Tundisi

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
28 Sept 2026
Date of issue
2026

History

Received
24 May 2026
Accepted
22 Aug 2026

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Serogroup	Dry season			Rainy season				Total (%)
Serogroup	50	100	Total (%)	50	100	200	Total (%)	Total (%)
Icterohaemorrhagiae	5	2	7 (77.8)	2	-	-	2 (14.3)	9 (39.1)
Autumnalis	2	-	2 (22.2)	-	2	1	3 (21.4)	5 (21.7)
Ballum	-	-	-	5	-	-	5 (35.7)	5 (21.7)
Cynopteri	-	-	-	1	1	-	2 (14.3)	2 (8.7)
Celledoni	-	-	-	1	-	-	1 (7.1)	1 (4.3)
Shermani	-	-	-	-	1	-	1 (7.1)	1 (4.3)
Total	7 (77.8)	2 (22.2)	9 (100)	9 (64.3)	4 (28.6)	1 (7.1)	14 (100)	23 (100)

Animal ID	MAT	PCR
Animal ID	MAT	Urine	CVM	Bladder	Kidney	Ovary	Uterus	Oviduct
48	+	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
49	+	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
51	+	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
52	-	-	+	-	-	-	-	-
56	+	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
57	+	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
74	+	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
78	+	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
83	+	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
86	+	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Total	9	0	1	0	0	0	0	0

Pathogenic Leptospira spp. DNA detection in goats from the Caatinga biome

Detecção de DNA de Leptospira spp. patogênica em caprinos do bioma Caatinga

Abstract

Resumo

1. Introduction

2. Material and Methods

2.1. Sampling and biological sample collection

2.2. Serological test

2.3. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

2.4. Statistical analysis

3. Results

4. Discussion

5. Conclusion

Acknowledgements

Data Availability Statement

Ethics and consent

References

*

Editor:

Publication Dates

History