Leptospirosis: An important re-emerging infection of animals and man

PDF
Published: Nov 13, 2017
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/jhvms.14879
Keywords:
review leptospirosis zoonosos farm animals
G. BISIAS (Γ. ΜΠΙΣΙΑΣ)
Directory of Veterinary Services of East Attica
S. K. KRITAS (Σ.Κ. ΚΡΗΤΑΣ)
Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
A. BURRIEL
Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly
B. KONTOS (Β. ΚΟΝΤΟΣ)
Εθνική Σχολή Δημόσιας Υγείας
Abstract

Leptospirosis, a re-emerging infection of animals and man, is caused by one of 200 serotypes of Leptospira spp. The genus is currently divided into eight pathogenic species, infecting various animal species and man, either clinically or subclinically. Natural hosts of the microorganism are traditionally, but not exclusively, considered to be rodents. Infected animals excrete Leptospira in the environment, where it may remain for long periods of time, especially if temperatures are about 25°C. The reportedprevalence of infected animals from around the world is between 2% and 46%. In Greece, recent reports show a seropositivity among abortion cases of small ruminants around 25%, while the relevant percentage among apparently healthy food producing animals is between 5.7% and 16.2%. The most prevalent serotypes were Bratislava, Australis and Copenhageni, depending on the animal species. There is a need for more systematic study of the infection in Greece (especially with the possibility of the expected climatic changes to result in a temperature rise).

Article Details
  • Section
  • Review Articles

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

· Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

· Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g. post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

· Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (preferably in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.

Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Adler Β, Faine S, Christopher WL, Chappel RJ (1986) Development of an improved selective medium for isolation of leptospires from clinical material. Vet. Microbiol, 12:377-381.
Baker TF, McEwen SA, Prescott JF, Meek AH (1989) The prevalence of leptospirosis and its association with multifocal interstitial nephritis in swine at slaughter. Can J Vet Res 53:290-294.
Baskerville A (1986) Histopathological aspects of diagnosis of leptospirosis. Curr. Top. Vet Med Anim Sci., 36:33-43.
Bomfim MRQ, Koury MC (2006) Evaluation of LSSP-PCR for the identification of Leptospira spp in urine samples of cattle with clinical suspicion of leptospirosis. Vet Microbiol 118:278-288.
Bunnel JE, Hice CL, Watts DM, Montrueil V, Tesh RB, Vinetz JM (2000) Detection of pathogenic Leptospira spp. Infections among mammals captured in the Peruvian Amazon basin region. Am J Trop Med Hyg 63:255-258.
Burriel AR, Magana-Vougiouka O, Butsini S, Nomikou K, Patakakis M (2002) A serologic investigation of some causes of reproductive failure among small ruminats in Greece. OJVR, 1:57-63.
Burriel AR, Dalley C, Woodward MJ (2003) Prevalence of Leptospira species among farmed and domestic animals in Greece. Vet Ree, 153:146-148.
Ciceroni L, Lombardo D, Pinto A, Ciarrocchi S, Simeoni J (2000) Prevalence of antibodies to Leptospira serovars in sheep and goats in Alto Adige-South Tyrol. J Vet Med 47B:217-223.
Cox TE, Smythe LD and Leung LKP (2005) Flying foxes as carriers of pathogenic Leptospira spp. J Wildlife Dis, 41:753-757.
Cullen PA, Xu X, Matsunaga J, Sanchez Y, Ko AI, Haake DA, Adler Β (2005) Surfaceome of Leptospira spp. Infec. Immun. 73:4853-4863.
Doungchawee G, Kositanont U, Niwetpathomwat A, Inswisai T, Sarasaeranee P, Haake DA (2008) Early diagnosis of leptospirosis by immunoglobulin M immunoblot testing. Clin Vaccine Immun 15:492-498.
Ellis WA (1986) The diagnosis of leptospirosis in farm animals. In: The Present State of Leptospirosis Diagnosis and Control, Ellis W.A. & Little T.W.A., eds. Martinus Nijhoff, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 13-31.
Epsi A, Prieto JM, Fernandez M, Alvarez M (2000) Seroloxical prevalence of six leptospira serovars in cattle in Asturias (North Spain). Epidem Infect 124:599-602.
Faber NA, Crawford M, LeFebvre RB, Buyukmihci NC, Madigan JE, Willits NH (2000) J. Clin Microb 38:2731-2733.
Faine S, Adler Β, Bolin C, Perolat Ρ (2000) Leptospira and Leptospirosis, Second Edition. Medisci Press, Melbourne, Australia.
Faria MT, Athanazio DA, Ramos EAG, Silva EF, Reis MG, Ko AI (2007) Morphological alterations in the kidney of rats with natural and experimental Leptospira infection. J Comp Path 137:231-238.
Freitas JC, da Silva FG, de Oliveira RC, Delbem ACB, Muller EE, Alves LA and Teles PS (2004). Isolation of Leptospira spp from dogs, bovine and swine naturally infected. Cienca Rural 34,853-856.
Guitian FJ, Garcia-Pena FJ, Oliveira J, Sanjuan ML, Yus E (2001) Serological study of the frequency of leptospiral infections among dairy cows in farms with suboptimal reproductive efficiency in Galicia, Spain. Veterinary Microbiology 80:275-284.
Gupta A, Gulmar PD, Srinivasan R, Kaliaperumar S (2007) Bilateral acute keratouveitis in leptospirosis: A new entity. Indian J Ophthalmol 55:399.
Hamir AN, Hanion CA, Niezgoda M, Rupprecht CE (2001) The prevalence of interstitial nephritis and leptospirosis in 283 raccons (Procyon lotor) from 5 different sites in the United States. Can Vet J, 42:869-871.
Hookey JV (1992) Detection of Leptospiraceae by amplification of 16S ribosomal DNA. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 90:267-274.
International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology (1984). Subcommittee on the taxonomy of Leptospira. Int. J. Syst.
Bacteriol. 34:258-259.
Johnson RC, Harris VG (1967) Differentiation of pathogenic and saprophytic leptospires. I. Growth at low temperatures. J. Bacteriol, 94:27-31.
Johnson RC, Faine S (1984) Leptospiraceae. In: Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology Vol. 1. Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, USA, 62-67.
Karakasevic Β 1955 Leptospirosis epidemic in Strumica (Greece & Yugoslavia). Ζ Hyg Infectionskr, 142:27-37.
Kawaguchi L, Sengkeopraseuth B, Tsuyuoka R, Koizumi N, Akasi H, Vongphracham P, Watanabe H, Aoyama A (2008) Seroprevalence of elptospirosis and risk factor analysis in food-prone rural areas in Lao PDR. An J Med Hyg 78:957-961.
Langoni H, Souza CL, Da Silva AV, Cunha ELP, Silva RC (2008) Epidemiological aspects of leptospirosis. Research of antiLeptospira spp antibodies, isolation and biomolecular research in bovines, rodents and workers in rular properties from Botucatu, SP, Brazil. Braz J vet Res anim Sci 45:190-199.
Leal-Castellanos CB, Carcia-Suârez R, Gonzâlez-Figueroa E, Fuentes-Allen JL, Escobedo-De La Rena J (2003) Risk factors and the prevalence of leptospirosis infection in a rural community of Chiapas Mexico. Epidemiol Infect 131:1149-1156.
Leon A, Pronost S, Tapprest J, Foucher N, Blanchard Β, Andre-Fontaine G, Laugier C, Fortier G, Leclercq R (2006) Identification of pathogenic leptospira strains in tissues of a premature foal by use of polymerase chain reaction analysis. J Vet Diagn Invest 18:218-221.
Letocart M, Baranton G, Perolat Ρ (1997) Rapid identification of pathogenic Leptospira species (Leptospira interrogans, L. borgpetersenii and L. kirschneri) with species-specific DNA probes produced by arbitrarily primed PCR. J. Clin. Microbiol., 35:248-253.
Levett PN (2004) Leptospirosis: A forgotten zoonosis? Clin Applied Immunol Rev 4:435-448.
Lilenbaum W, Ristow P, Fraguas S,A, da Silva ED (2002) Evaluation of a rapid slide agglutination test for the diagnosis of acute canine leptospirosis. Rev Latnoam Microbiol 44:124-128.
Lilenbaum W, Varges R, Ristow P, Cortez A, Souza SO, Richtzenhain LJ, Vaconcellos SA (2009) Identification of Leptospira spp carriers among seroactive goats and sheep by polymerase chain reaction. Res Vet Sci 87:16-19.
Mahajan S, Chabra D (2008) Leptospirosis: A re-emerging disease. Veterinary World, 1:182-185.
Michel V, Branger C, Andre-Fontaine G (2002) Epidemiology of leptospirosis. Rev Cubana Med Trop, 54:7-10.
Monahan AM, Callanan JJ and Nally JE (2009) Review paper: Host - pathogen interactions in the kidney during chronic leptospirosis. Vet Pathol 46:792-799.
Morey RE, Galloway RL, Bragg SL, Steigerwalt AG, Mayer LW, Levett PN (2006) Species-specific identification of Leptospiraceae by 16S rRNAgene sequencing. J Clin Microbiol, 44:3510-3516.
National Veterinary Services Laboratories (1987). Microtitre technique for detection of Leptospira antibodies. Proc. U.S. Anim. Health Assoc, 91:65-73.
Natarajaseenivasan K, Boopalan M, Selvanayaki K, Suresh SR, Ratman S (2002) Leptospirosis among rice mill workers of Salem, South India. Jpn J Infect Pis 55:170-173.
Natarajaseenivasan K, Prabhu N, Selvanayaki K, Savalaikarankulam S, Raja S, Ratnam S (2004) Human leptospirosis in Erode, South India: Serology, isolation and characterization of the isolates by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprinting Jpn. J. Infect Dis 57:193-197.
OIE Terrestrial Manual (2008) Leptospirosis. Chapter 2.1.9 pp 251-264.
Ortega-Pacheco A, Colin-Flores RF, Gutierrez-Bianco E, Jimenez-Coelloo M (2008) Frequency and type of renal lesions in dogs naturally infected with Leptospira species. Annals of the N. York Academy of Science, 1149:270-274.
Pappas G, Papadimitriou P, Siozopoulou V, Christou L, Akritidis Ν(2008) The globalisation of leptospirosis: worldwide incidence trends. Int J Infect Pis. 12:351-357.
Petzetakis M (1932) A propos d'une épidémie de spirochétose ictérohémmorragique à l'ile de Syra: origine hydrique del'
epidemie presence des spirochetes chez les rats d'égout, en Grèce. Bulletin de la Société de Pathologie Exotique 1932; 25:411-416.
Plank R, Dean D (2000) Overview of the epidemiology, microbiology and pathogenesis of Leptospira spp in humans. Microbes and Infection 2:1265-1276.
Richardson DJ, Gauthier JL (2003) A serosurvey of leptospirosis in Connecticut Peridomestic Wildlife. Vector-born and zoonotic diseases 3:187-192.
Sambasiva RR, Naveen C, Bhalla P, Agarwal SK (2003) Leptospirosis in India and the rest of the world. Braz J Inf Dis, 7:178-193.
Saglam YS, Yener Ζ, Tenur A, Yalcin E (2008) Immunohistochemical detection of leptospiral antigens in cases of naturally occurring abortions in sheep. Small Ruminant Research, 74:119-122.
Salina-Melendez JA, Narvaez-Arce C, Riojas-Valdes V, Cantu- Covarrubias A, Avalos-Ramirez R, Segura-Correa LC (2007) Seroprevalence of leptospirosis in beef cattle of Nuevo Leon, Mexico. J Anim Veter Advances 6:1265-1268.
Sanders EJ, Rigau-Perez JG, Smits HL, Deseda CC, Vorndam VA, Aye T, Spiegel RA, Weyant RS, Bragg SL (1999) Increase of leptospirosis in Dengue-negative patients after a hurricane in Puerto Rico in 1966. Am J. Trop Med Hyg, 61:399-404.
Sarris K, Alkateriniadou L, Mazaraki K, Bourtzi-Chatzopoulou E, Saoulidis Κ (1987) Leptospirosis in a pig farm in Thessaloniki area, Deltio Ellinikis Ktiniatrikis Eterias. 38:30-41.
Schreier S, Triampo W, Dounghawee G, Triampo D, Chadsutji S (2009) Leptospirosis research: fast, easy and reliable enumeration of mobile leptospires. Biol Res 42:5-12.
Sitprija V, Pipatanagul V, Mertowidjojo K, Boonpuchnavig V, Boonpucknavig S (1980) Pathogenesis of renal disease in
leptospirosis: Clinical and experimental studies. Kidney Internat 17:827-836.
Slack AT, Galloway RL, Symonds ML, Dohnt MF, Smythe LD (2009) Reclassification of Leptospira meyeri serovar Perameles to Leptospira interrogans serovar Perameles through serological and molecular analysis: evidence of a need for changes to current procedures in Leptospira taxonomy. Int J System Evolut Microbiol 59:1199-1203.
Szeredi L, Haake DA (2006) Immunohistochemical identification and pathologic findings in natural cases of equine abortion caused by leptospira infection. Vet Pathol 43:755-761.
Talbada MD, Garvey N, Sprowls R, Eugster AK, Vinetz JM (2003) Prevalence of leptospirosis infection in Texas cattle: Implications for transmission to humans Vector-born and Zoonotic Diseases, 3:141-147.
Tooloei M, Abdollapour G, Karimi H, Hasanpor A (2008) Prevalence of serum antibodies against six leptospira serovars in sheep in Tabriz, North-western Iran. J. Animal and Veterinary Advances 7:450-455.
Townsend WM, Stiles J and Krohne SG (2006) Leptospirosis and panuveitis in a dog. Veter Ophthal 9:169-173.
Turk Ν, Milas Ζ, Margaletic J, Staresina V, Slavica A, Riquelme-Sertour N, Bellenger E, Baranton G, Postic D (2003) Molecular characterization of Leptospira spp strains isolated from small rodents in Croatia. Epidemiol Infect 130:159-166.
Vemulapalli R, Langohr IM, Sanchez A, Kiupel M, Bolin CA, Wu CC, Lin TL (2005) Molecular detection of Leptospira kirschneri in tissue of a prematurely born foal. J Vet Diagn Invest 17:67-71.
Vijayachari P, Hartskeerl RA, Sharma S, Natarajaseenivasan K, Roy S, Terpstra WJ, Sehgal SC (2004) A unique strain of Leptospira isolated from a patient with pulmonary haemorrhages in Andaman Islands: a proposal of serovar Portblairi of serogroup Sehgali. Epidemiol. Infect., 132:663-673.
Vijayachari P, Sugunan AP, Shriram AN (2008) Leptospirosis: an emerging global public health problem. J. Biosci, 33:557-569.
World Health Organization (2006) Guidelines for the prevention and control of leptospirosis. Zoonosis Division, National Institute of Communicable Diseases, 22-Sham Nath Marg, Dehli-110 054.
World Health Organization (2003) Human leptospirosis: Guidance for diagnosis, surveillance and control. WHO Library Cataloguing in - Publication Data, ISBN 92 4 154589 5.
Woo TH, Smythe LD, Symonds ML, Norris MA, Dohnt MF, Patel BK (1997) Rapid distinction between Leptospira interrogans and Leptospira biflexa by PCR amplification of 23S ribosomal DNA. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 150:9-18.
Most read articles by the same author(s)