Leptospirosis in donkeys (Equus asinus) destined for slaughter and export

Brazil is the eighth largest exporter of equidae meat in the world. Most donkey meat is obtained from discarded animals, raising concerns about their health status, particularly regarding zoonotic infections such as leptospirosis. Thus, this study aimed to determine the frequency of anti-Leptospira sp. antibodies in Northeastern donkeys at two properties specializing in producing donkeys for slaughter and export to the Chinese market, in the municipalities of Parnamirim (A) and Araripina (B), both located in the mesoregion of the Sertao of Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil. The serum of 349 donkeys was collected, including 147 males and 202 females, aged 3 to 12 years. All animals were subjected to the Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT) using a cut-off point of 1:50. A total of 19.8% seropositive animals were obtained. The Icterohaemorrhagiae serogroup was the most found in this study (40.6%), followed by Australis (27.5%), Autumnalis (8.7%), Sejroe (8.7%), Pomona (8.7%), Celledoni (2.9%), and Tarassovi (2.9%). A higher overall rate of seropositivity was found in donkeys from property B (2.2.4%) in the municipality of Araripina. In the association analysis, it was observed that animals less than 9 years of age were more likely to be seropositive, this may be due to the acquisition of resistance to Leptospira sp. as age advances. A significant number of donkeys seropositive for Leptospira sp. was found, thus, breeding these animals for slaughter and export requires implementing prophylactic measures.