MONITORING LEPTOSPIROSIS IN WILDLIFE AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH: SURVEILLANCE AND CONTROL STRATEGIES

Abstract

Leptospirosis is a zoonosis of great relevance to veterinary public health, especially due to the underestimated role of wildlife as a natural reservoir of the *Leptospira* bacteria. This study aimed to analyze the monitoring of Leptospirosis in wildlife and its implications for veterinary public health, focusing on surveillance and control strategies. The research highlighted the need to integrate the animal, human and environmental health sectors, within the One Health approach, to prevent outbreaks and minimize the impact of the disease on human and animal populations. The methodology employed included a comprehensive literature review and semi-structured interviews with veterinary public health professionals. The content analysis technique was applied to review the data, focusing on addressing the main challenges and gaps in the current course of monitoring Leptospirosis in natural ecosystems. According to the research, constant monitoring of wildlife species is necessary to save the greatest number of infected lives and promote more effective prevention interventions. From here, the main shortcoming is the inability to monitor Leptospirosis in wild species, which prevents the identification of outbreaks in urban and rural areas. At the same time, the research suggests the introduction of more integrated and cooperative monitoring systems, in combination with government policies focused on the zoonosis strategy. In this way, the study's analyses support a deeper understanding of the disease dynamics due to the alliance with practical measures.