Seroprevalence of leptospirosis and brucellosis in long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) of Peninsular Malaysia

Leptospirosis and brucellosis are important zoonotic diseases worldwide with high incidence in tropical countries affecting biodiversity, human and livestock health, animal welfare and the economy (OIE, 2014; WHO, 2011). The expanding human population along with rapid urbanization have increased the likelihood of wildlife and human interaction. In Malaysia, the increased human-macaque conflicts (Hambali, 2012) have resulted in the concern about zoonotic disease transmission. This study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of leptospirosis and brucellosis in wild long-tailed macaques of Peninsular Malaysia. A hundred serum samples were screened for antibodies against Leptospiraand Brucella using microscopic agglutination test (MAT) and Rose Bengal Plate test (RBPT) respectively. Fourteen percent of macaques were seropositive for leptospirosis with serovar Cellodoni(4%), and Pyrogenes (4%) as the most common serovar identified, followed by Icterohaemorrhagiae (3%), Bataviae(2%) and Lai(1%). The prevalence in males were significantly higher than females. Males were 4.5 times more likely to be seropositive for leptospirosis compared to females. This suggests that sex differences in behaviour influences exposure of macaques to leptospirosis. There were no significant difference in seroprevalence with age, habitat and region. All samples were seronegative for brucellosis. This study concludes that leptospirosis are prevalent in long-tailed macaques and poses a public health risk of cross-species transmission.

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