Potencijal domaće i divlje mačke kao rezervoara bakterije Leptospira spp.

master's thesis

• Title (english): Potential of domestic and wild cats as reservoirs of Leptospira spp.
• Author: Leonarda Čagljević
• Mentor: Nenad Turk (mentor)
• Committee member: Vilim Starešina (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Zrinka Štritof (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Josipa Habuš (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Suzana Hađina (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2024-08, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE; Veterinary Medicine

Abstract

Leptospiroza je najraširenija zoonoza u svijetu i bolest prirodnih žarišta, čiji su do sad
jedini utvrđeni rezervoari glodavci. Leptospiroza je u pravilu akutna septikemijska bolest
domaćih i divljih životinja ali i ljudi uzrokovana patogenim bakterijama Leptospira spp. Zbog
svoje kompleksne epizootiologije i nedovoljno zabilježenih podataka o domaćim i divljim
mačkama kao potencijalnim rezervoarima leptospiroze, provedeno je istraživanje u koje je
uključeno ukupno četrdeset uzoraka bubrega, od toga osamnaest uzoraka bubrega divljih
mačaka i dvadeset i dva uzorka bubrega domaćih mačaka. Uz neotkriveno pitanje konačnog
broja vrsta životinja kao rezervoara leptospiroze, ovu bolest odlikuje rekonvalescentno
kliconoštvo, velike divergencije kliničke slike i dugotrajno održavanje bakterija u tlu,
vegetaciji i vodi, što predstavlja dodatan problem u dijagnosticiranju bolesti i prikupljanju svih
potrebnih podataka o rezervoarima. Prikupljeni uzorci bubrega su u istraživačkom radu u
sedmomjesečnom periodu homogenizirani, iz njih je izolirana DNA NucleoSpin® Tissue
metodom te je nakon izrade glavne smjese potrebne za provođenje lančane reakcije
polimerazom u stvarnom vremenu (RealTime PCR), pojedini uzorak izolirane DNA bio
pomiješan s pripravljenom smjesom i kao takav bio spreman za analizu u Rotor-Gene Q PCR
uređaju. Nakon provedene izolacije DNA i obrade uzoraka molekularnom metodom RealTime
PCR, utvrđeno je kako niti jedan uzorak bubrega divljih mačaka nije bio pozitivan na infekciju
Leptospirom spp., dok je u domaćih mačaka dokazan jedan pozitivan uzorak na infekciju
Leptospirom spp. Iako dobiveni negativni rezultati opovrgavaju činjenicu da bi divlje mačke
potencijalno uz glodavce, zbog svojih životnih i predatorskih tendencija, mogle biti rezervoari
bakterije Leptospira spp., ovu hipotezu potrebno je dodatno istražiti, uzimajući u obzir veće
uzorke populacije i širu geografsku rasprostranjenost potencijalnih rezervoara. Dokaz
Leptospire spp. u uzorku bubrega domaće mačke implicira na njihov potencijal rezervoara ove
bolesti, iako to ovim istraživanjem nije potvrđeno na temelju samo jednog pozitivnog uzorka.

Abstract (english)

Leptospirosis is a zoonosis occurring worldwide, caused by pathogenic spirochaetes
Leptospira spp. The only known reservoirs for this disease so far are rodents. In most
recorded cases, leptospirosis is an acute septicemic disease of domestic and wild animals, as
well as humans. Due to its complex epizootiology and insufficient recorded data on domestic
and wild cats as potential reservoirs of leptospirosis, a study was conducted that included a
total of forty kidney samples, of which eighteen kidney samples were of wild cats and
twenty-two kidney samples were of domestic cats. In addition to the undiscovered finite
number of animal species as reservoirs of leptospirosis, this disease is characterized by
convalescent carrier-state, large divergences of the clinical symptoms and long-term
maintenance of bacteria in the soil, vegetation and water, which represents an additional
problem in the diagnosis of the disease and the collection of all necessary data on the
reservoirs. The collected kidney samples were homogenized during the seven-month research
period, their DNA was isolated using the NucleoSpin® Tissue method, and after the
preparation of the main mixture required for conducting real-time polymerase chain reaction
(RealTime PCR), every single sample of the isolated DNA was mixed with the prepared
mixture, and as such was ready for analysis in the Rotor-Gene Q PCR machine. After DNA
isolation and sample processing using the RealTime PCR molecular method, it was
determined that not a single sample of the wild cat kidney was positive, meaning no
Leptospira spp. was discovered in samples. Only one domestic cat kidney sample was tested
positive. Although the obtained negative results refute the fact that wild cats could
potentially, in addition to rodents, due to their lifestyle and predatory tendencies, to be
reservoirs of Leptospira spp., this hypothesis needs to be further investigated, taking into
account larger population samples and a wider geographical distribution of potential
reservoirs. The evidence of Leptospire spp. in a kidney sample of a domestic cat implies that
they could be the potential reservoir of this disease, although it was not confirmed by this
research based on only one positive sample.

• Keywords: Leptospira spp.; leptospiroza; domaća mačka; divlja mačka; rezervoari; PCR
• Keywords (english): Leptospira spp.; leptospirosis; domestic cat; wild cat; reservoir; PCR
• Language: croatian
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:178:999125
• Study programme: Title: Veterinary Medicine; Study programme type: university; Study level: integrated undergraduate and graduate; Academic / professional title: doktor/doktorica veterinarske medicine (doktor/doktorica veterinarske medicine)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2024-09-30 09:48:44