Some leptospira agglutinins detected in domestic animals in British Columbia.
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During a period of six years 7,555 bovine sera, 421 canine sera, 251 porcine sera and 135 equine sera were tested for agglutinins to Leptospira interrogans serotypes canicola, grippotyphosa, hardjo, icterohemorrhagiae, pomona and sejroe. The bovine sera reacted predominantly with hardjo and/or sejroe at a rate of 15% compared to 3.5% with pomona. Breeding or abortion problems were associated with pomona but not with sejroe/hardjo agglutinins. The canine sera reacted to canicola (9.9%y and icterohemorrhagiae (5.4%), tcted predominantly with canicola (8.9%) and icterohemorrhagiae (8.1%). (+info)
Further determination of DNA relatedness between serogroups and serovars in the family Leptospiraceae with a proposal for Leptospira alexanderi sp. nov. and four new Leptospira genomospecies.
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DNA relatedness was determined among 303 strains of Leptospira and Leptonema. Included in the analysis were reference strains from 228 well-characterized and recognized serovars. The study included 268 serovars from 29 named and one or more unnamed serogroups. The strains clustered into 17 DNA hybridization groups, representing 12 previously described species (292 strains) and five new genomospecies (11 strains). The largest groups included Leptospira interrogans (91 strains from 82 serovars), Leptospira santarosai (65 strains from 59 serovars), Leptospira borgpetersenii (49 strains from 43 serovars), Leptospira kirschneri (29 strains from 26 serovars) and Leptospira noguchii (20 strains from 20 serovars). The new genomospecies include Leptospira genomospecies 1 (two strains, serovars pinagchang and sichuan), Leptospira genomospecies 2 (six strains, serovars lushui, manhao 3, manzhuang, nanding, mengla and yunnan), Leptospira genomospecies 3 (one strain, serovar holland), Leptospira genomospecies 4 (one strain, serovar hualin) and Leptospira genomospecies 5 (one strain, serovar saopaulo). With the exception of Ballum, all serogroups with greater than one serovar studied were genetically heterogeneous. Phenotypic tests, including optimal growth temperature, lipase activity and growth inhibition by copper sulfate or 2,6-diaminopurine, were of little use in differentiating DNA relatedness groups. The name Leptospira alexanderi sp. nov. is proposed for Leptospira genomospecies 2 (type strain L 60T = ATCC 700520T, serovar manhao 3). (+info)
Leptospirosis and Ebola virus infection in five gold-panning villages in northeastern Gabon.
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An exhaustive epidemiologic and serologic survey was carried out in five gold-panning villages situated in northeastern Gabon to estimate the degree of exposure of to leptospirosis and Ebola virus. The seroprevalence was 15.7% for leptospirosis and 10.2% for Ebola virus. Sixty years after the last seroepidemiologic survey of leptospirosis in Gabon, this study demonstrates the persistence of this infection among the endemic population and the need to consider it as a potential cause of hemorrhagic fever in Gabon. There was no significant statistical correlation between the serologic status of populations exposed to both infectious agents, indicating the lack of common risk factors for these diseases. (+info)
DNA relatedness of Leptospira strains isolated from beef cattle in Zimbabwe.
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The DNA relatedness of 17 Leptospira strains isolated from beef cattle in Zimbabwe was determined using the hydroxyapatite method. Similarly to previously speciated African strains, all Zimbabwe isolates belonged to either Leptospira borgpetersenii or Leptospira kirschneri. All serovars within serogroups Pyrogenes (kwale, mombe and a strain closely related to serovar nigeria), Hebdomadis (marondera and mhou), Tarassovi (ngavi) and Sejroe (balcanica and hardjo) were L. borgpetersenii. L. kirschneri contained all strains in serovars of serogroups Icterohaemorrhagiae (zimbabwe), Australis (fugis), Bataviae (paidjan) and Pomona (a strain closely related to mozdok). The species designations of the Zimbabwe fugis and paidjan strains were different from those of the reference strains of these two serovars, both of which belong to Leptospira interrogans. (+info)
International multicenter evaluation of the clinical utility of a dipstick assay for detection of Leptospira-specific immunoglobulin M antibodies in human serum specimens.
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We performed a multicenter evaluation of a robust and easily performed dipstick assay for the serodiagnosis of human leptospirosis. The assay is aimed at the detection of Leptospira-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies. The study involved 2,665 serum samples collected from 2,057 patients with suspected leptospirosis in 12 countries on five continents with different levels of endemicity and different surveillance systems. The patients were grouped as laboratory-confirmed leptospirosis case patients and noncase patients based on the results of culturing and the microscopic agglutination test. Paired samples from 27.7% of the subjects were tested. Of the 485 case patients, 87.4% had a positive dipstick result for one or more samples. Of the 1,513 noncase patients, only 7.2% had a positive result. Whereas most (88.4%) of the positive samples from the case patients showed moderate to strong (2+ to 4+) staining in the dipstick assay, most (68.1%) of the positive samples from the noncase patients showed weak (1+) staining. The sensitivity of the dipstick assay increased from 60.1% for acute-phase serum samples to 87.4% for convalescent-phase samples. The specificities for these two groups of samples were 94.1 and 92.7%, respectively. The dipstick assay detected a broad variety of serogroups. The results of the dipstick assay were concordant (observed agreement, 93.2%; kappa value, 0.76) with the results of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of specific IgM antibodies, a test which is often used in the laboratory diagnosis of current or recent leptospirosis. This study demonstrated that this easily performed dipstick assay is a valuable and useful test for the quick screening for leptospirosis; has a wide applicability in different countries with different degrees of endemicity; can be used at all levels of the health care system, including the field; and will be useful for detecting and monitoring outbreaks of leptospirosis. (+info)
Leptospiral infection among primitive tribes of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
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The Andaman islands were known to be endemic for leptospirosis during the early part of the century. Later, for about six decades no information about the status of the disease in these islands was available. In the late 1980s leptospirosis reappeared among the settler population and several outbreaks have been reported with high case fatality rates. Besides settlers, these islands are the home of six primitive tribes of which two are still hostile. These tribes have ample exposure to environment conducive for transmission of leptospirosis. Since no information about the level of endemicity of the disease among the tribes is available, a seroprevalence study was carried out among all the accessible tribes of the islands. A total of 1557 serum samples from four of the tribes were collected and examined for presence of antileptospiral antibodies using Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT) employing 10 serogroups as antigens. An overall seropositivity rate of 191% was observed with the highest rate of 53.5% among the Shompens. The seropositivity rates in the other tribes were 16.4% among Nicobarese, 222% among the Onges and 14.8% among the Great Andamanese. All of the tribes except the Onges showed a similar pattern of change in the seroprevalence rates with age. The prevalence rates were rising from low values among children to reach a peak in those aged 2140 years and then declined. Among Onges the seroprevalence rates continued to rise beyond 40 years. In all the tribes, seroprevalence rates were found to be significantly higher among the males. The commonest serogroups encountered were Australis followed by Grippotyphosa, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Pomona and Canicola. (+info)
Examination of slurry from cattle for pathogenic bacteria.
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One hundred and eighty-seven samples of slurry from cattle were examined forthe presence of salmonellas, pathogenic leptospires and brucellas. Small numbers of salmonellas, generally less than 1/g., were isolated from 20 samples (11%). These were S. dublin (12), S. typhimurium (4), S. indiana (1), S. bredeney (1), S. cerro (1) and S. unnamed 4, 12:d:-(1). Leptospires were isolated from 56 samples (30%) but none was pathogenic for hamsters. No brucellas were isolated. The results of this survey are discussed in relation to the epidemiology of salmonellosis. (+info)
Risk factors for death and changing patterns in leptospirosis acute renal failure.
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The risk factors for death and changes in clinical patterns in leptospirosis (Weil's disease) have not been well studied. We retrospectively studied 110 patients with Weil's disease hospitalized in Brazil between 1985 and 1996. Univariate statistical analysis showed that nonsurvivors were older than survivors, and had higher frequency of oliguria, cardiac arrhythmia, dyspnea, and pulmonary rales. Logistic regression showed that the only independent factor associated with death was oliguria (odds ratio [OR] = 8.98). The presence of arthralgia (OR = 4.71), dehydration (OR = 6.26), dyspnea (OR = 17.7), and pulmonary rales (OR = 9.91) increased after 1994. These data suggest that in Weil's disease the clinical patterns have changed and the presence of oliguria is a risk factor for death. (+info)