Rabies in a Captive Lowland Tapir (Tapirus terrestris)

• Autor(a) principal: Pereira, Fernanda M.A. M.
• Data de Publicação: 2022
• Outros Autores: Oliveira, Ayisa R de, Soares-Neto, Lauro L., Munhoz, Laura, Fernandes, Laura S., Santos, Daniel O dos, Carvalho, Thaynara P de, Langoni, Helio [UNESP], Santos, Renato L.
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UNESP
• Texto Completo: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcpa.2022.07.008; http://hdl.handle.net/11449/241575
• topic: Negri bodies; pathology; rabies; tapiridae; wildlife; zoonosis

Rabies is a severe viral zoonosis of mammals and causes irreversible neurological damage. We describe the clinical presentation and anatomopathological lesions of rabies in a captive lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris) in Bauru, São Paulo State, Brazil. The clinical course of the disease lasted 6 days and was characterized by progressive neurological deterioration and death. The main anatomopathological findings were non-suppurative encephalitis and presence of Negri bodies within neurons. Direct immunofluorescence and mouse inoculation tests were positive for rabies virus. This is the first report of rabies in a lowland tapir and highlights the importance of disease prevention under managed care and continuous control measures in urbanized environments.