Natural Leptospira pomona Infection in the Pampas Cavy

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Abstract
The natural occurrence of L. pomona infection in the pampas cavy, Cavia pamparum, was investigated in connection with an outbreak of leptospirosis in cattle at a large ranch in the central part of Corrientes Province, Argentina. Of 282 cavies, captured and examined on 3 occasions during 1 year, 25 were sero-logically positive for L. pomona, and the organism was isolated from urine or kidney tissue of 11. None of the cavies showed clinical signs of disease. To our knowledge, this is the first reported isolation of L. pomona from wild cavies, and the first evidence that these animals may play a role in the epizootiology of bovine leptospirosis. Because the pampas cavy is prevalent throughout the most important cattle-producing areas of Argentina and Uruguay, further studies are indicated to define its true role as a reservoir of leptospirosis transmissible to domestic livestock and to the rural human population.