Leptospirosis in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review

Molecular and serological prevalence of Leptospira spp. among slaughtered cattle and associated risk factors in the Bahr El Ghazal region of South Sudan

INTRODUCTION

Leptospirosis is a neglected emerging and zoonotic disease reported worldwide. This study sought to determine the molecular and serological prevalence of Leptospira spp. and the associated risk factors in slaughtered cattle from the Bahr El Ghazal region of South Sudan.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between January 16th and February 25th, 2023, blood and urine samples were collected from 402 cattle at the Lokoloko Municipal Slaughterhouse in Western Bahr El-Ghazal State. Serum samples were tested using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), with a panel of 12 serovars (sv) from 12 serogroups (sg) and 4 species (spp) of Leptospira spp. These serovars had been previously identified in Sudan and the East African region. Simultaneously, 400 corresponding urine samples were screened using qualitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the shedding of Leptospira spp. in urine. To identify the associated risk factors, the age, sex, breed and body condition score of each sampled cattle was noted at the time of sampling and subsequently analysed using logistic regression models.

RESULTS

Among the 402 serum samples screened, a substantial 81.8% (329/402, 95% CI 77.9-85.3) displayed seropositivity for Leptospira spp. with a MAT titre ≥ 100. The prevalence of urine shedding determined by PCR was 6% (23/400, 95% CI 3.8-8.4), while probable recent leptospirosis with a MAT ≥ 1:800 was observed in 33.1% (133/402, 95% CI 28.6-37.8) of the cattle. Multiple reactions were detected in 34.8% (140/402, 95% CI 30.6-39.5) serum samples. The seropositivity was against L. borgpetersenii sg. Tarassovi (78.6%; 316/402, 95% CI 74.4-82.3), followed by L. borgpetersenii sg. Ballum at 20.4% (82/402, 95% CI, 16.7-24.4%), L. kirschneri sg. Autumnalis At 8.7% (35/402, 95% CI 5.7-11.7), L. interrogans sg. of Pomona at 7.0% (28/402, 95% CI 4.5-9.5), and L. interrogans sg. Hebdomadis was 5.0% (20/402, 95% CI 2.8-7.2). Several risk factors are associated with seropositivity. Older animals (≥ 2 years) had 2.0 times greater odds (95% CI 1.14-3.5) of being seropositive than younger animals (< 2 years), P-value = 0.016. Female animals demonstrated 2.1 times greater odds (95% CI 1.2-3.6) of seropositivity than males did (P-value = 0.008). Additionally, Felata/Mbororo cattle exhibited 2.4 times greater odds (95% CI 1.3-4.5) of being seropositive than did local Nilotic cattle (P-value = 0.005). The agreement between the MAT and PCR results was poor, as indicated by a kappa statistic value of 0.001 and a P-value of 0.913. But there was a moderate agreement between MAT high titres ≥ 800 and PCR positivity with a kappa statistic value = 0.501 and a P-value < 0.001.

CONCLUSION

In addition to the high seroprevalence, Leptospira spp. were found in the urine of slaughtered cattle, suggesting that leptospirosis is endemic to the study area. This finding underscores the significance of cattle as potential sources of infection for slaughterhouse workers, the general public, and other animal species. To address this issue effectively in the Bahr El Ghazal Region and South Sudan, a comprehensive strategy involving a multidisciplinary approach is essential to minimize disease among animals, hence reducing potential zoonotic risks to humans.

Current knowledge on leptospirosis in cats: A systematic review with metanalysis on direct detection, serological response, and clinical data

Leptospirosis is a neglected bacterial zoonosis that affects a wide range of mammals, with important implications from a One Health perspective. Over the past years feline leptospirosis has gained increased attention in the scientific community. Here we describe a systematic review with meta-analysis that followed the PRISMA guidelines, with an additional PROSPERO registration. The study provides global seropositivity, urinary shedding rates, global serogroup distribution, descriptive data of leptospires that had been isolated from cats and clinical and laboratory features presented by symptomatic cats with acute disease. The search was carried out in six different databases, with the identification of 79 reports describing leptospiral infection in cats. The pooled frequency of seroreactive cats was 11% (95% CI: 9%-13%), with Javanica and Pomona as the most frequent serogroups found. Frequency for urinary shedding was 8% (95% CI: 5%-10%), with L. interrogans identified in most samples. A total of 16 isolates were isolated from cats, with Bataviae as the most frequent serogroup. Twenty symptomatic cats with confirmed leptospiral infection were identified. Anorexia, lethargy, polydipsia, and bleeding disorders were the clinical signs most frequently reported. The results suggest that cats from some locations are exposed to leptospires and may act as urinary shedders of this pathogen, thus indicating a possible role of this species in disease transmission. Clinical data indicates that acute infection is mostly atypical when compared to dogs, and due to difficulties to define an archetypal clinical presentation in cats, feline leptospirosis is likely to be underdiagnosed disease in this species.

Molecular and serological diagnosis of multiple bacterial zoonoses in febrile outpatients in Garissa County, north-eastern Kenya

Bacterial zoonoses are diseases caused by bacterial pathogens that can be naturally transmitted between humans and vertebrate animals. They are important causes of non-malarial fevers in Kenya, yet their epidemiology remains unclear. We investigated brucellosis, Q-fever and leptospirosis in the venous blood of 216 malaria-negative febrile patients recruited in two health centres (98 from Ijara and 118 from Sangailu health centres) in Garissa County in north-eastern Kenya. We determined exposure to the three zoonoses using serological (Rose Bengal test for Brucella spp., ELISA for C. burnetti and microscopic agglutination test for Leptospira spp.) and real-time PCR testing and identified risk factors for exposure. We also used non-targeted metagenomic sequencing on nine selected patients to assess the presence of other possible bacterial causes of non-malarial fevers. Considerable PCR positivity was found for Brucella (19.4%, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 14.2-25.5) and Leptospira spp. (1.7%, 95% CI 0.4-4.9), and high endpoint titres were observed against leptospiral serovar Grippotyphosa from the serological testing. Patients aged 5-17 years old had 4.02 (95% CI 1.18-13.70, p-value = 0.03) and 2.42 (95% CI 1.09-5.34, p-value = 0.03) times higher odds of infection with Brucella spp. and Coxiella burnetii than those of ages 35-80. Additionally, patients who sourced water from dams/springs, and other sources (protected wells, boreholes, bottled water, and water pans) had 2.39 (95% CI 1.22-4.68, p-value = 0.01) and 2.24 (1.15-4.35, p-value = 0.02) times higher odds of exposure to C. burnetii than those who used unprotected wells. Streptococcus and Moraxella spp. were determined using metagenomic sequencing. Brucellosis, leptospirosis, Streptococcus and Moraxella infections are potentially important causes of non-malarial fevers in Garissa. This knowledge can guide routine diagnosis, thus helping lower the disease burden and ensure better health outcomes, especially in younger populations.

Seroprevalence and renal carriage of pathogenic Leptospira in livestock in Cotonou, Benin

BACKGROUND

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease. It is particularly prevalent in tropical countries and has major consequences for human and animal health. In Benin, the disease's epidemiology remains poorly understood, especially in livestock, for which data are lacking.

OBJECTIVES

To characterise Leptospira seroprevalence and locally circulating serogroups in livestock from Cotonou and to estimate the prevalence of Leptospira renal carriage in cattle.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study in February 2020 during which livestock were sampled at an abattoir and in an impoverished city district. We analysed blood samples from 279 livestock animals (i.e. cattle, sheep, goats and pigs) using the microscopic agglutination test. Additionally, samples of renal tissue from 100 cattle underwent 16s rRNA (rrs) real-time PCR analysis.

RESULTS

For the 131 cattle, 85 sheep, and 50 goats tested, seroprevalence was 18% (95% confidence interval [CI] [12%, 26%]), 9% (95% CI [4%, 17%] and 2% (95% CI [0%, 9%]), respectively, and most of the seropositive animals were associated with 1:100 titres. All 13 pigs were seronegative. Leptospira DNA was found in the renal tissue of 10% (95% CI [5%, 18%]) of the cattle tested (n = 100). Leptospira borgpetersenii was the main species present (n = 7), but Leptospira interrogans (n = 2) and Leptospira kirschneri (n = 1) were also detected. Various serogroups (Canicola, Grippotyphosa, Sejroe, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Pomona, Pyrogenes, Australis and Autumnalis) were detected using microscopic agglutination test without a clear predominance of any of them.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that abattoir workers and people living in close contact with livestock in poor urban areas are exposed to the risk of Leptospira infection.

A Cross Sectional Study on the Bidirectional Interactions Between Leptospirosis and HIV Infection Among Patients from Maputo Central Hospital, Mozambique

Introduction

This study aims to determine the baseline seroprevalence of leptospirosis, a zoonotic and neglected disease, in people living with HIV (PWH) in Maputo, Mozambique, and to evaluate the relationship between selected HIV-related factors that might influence risk of coinfection with leptospirosis, such as degree of immunosuppression, as assessed by CD4 cell count, World Health Organization (WHO) HIV/AIDS clinical stage and antiretroviral therapy (ART) intake.

Methods

This was a descriptive cross-sectional analysis of 157 PWH, aged over 18 years old, admitted to the Maputo Central Hospital, in Maputo, Mozambique, between March 2020 and October 2021. The study participants were recruited as a convenience sample regardless of the reasons for their admission. We collected sociodemographic and clinical data, including ART and WHO HIV/AIDS clinical stage, and blood for CD4 cell count and detection of Leptospira IgG antibodies using a commercial Kit ab247199 Leptospira IgG ELISA (www.abcam.com/ab247199) with sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 97.3%, respectively. Laboratory testing was performed at the Faculty of Medicine, Eduardo Mondlane University and Laboratory of Clinical Analysis, in Maputo.

Results

Participants were aged 18 to 72 years (median age 39 years; SD ± 10.5), the majority were female 100 (63.7%), from urban areas 138 (87.9%), with secondary-level education 80 (51%). The overall seroprevalence of Leptospira IgG antibodies was 40.1%. The median CD4 cell count was 385 cells/µl (02 to 2297; SD ± 378.47). Higher seroprevalence of Leptospira antibodies was found among participants with CD4 cell counts <250 cells/µl (54.8%), WHO HIV/AIDS stage IV (70.2%) and those on ART (92%), though there were no statistically significant differences between groups with and without Leptospira antibodies.

Conclusion

Our study confirmed that Leptospira antibodies are highly prevalent in PWH in Maputo; however, Leptospira infection was not associated with the degree of immunosuppression, WHO HIV/AIDS clinical stage, or the use of ART. Our data support the need for routine screening for leptospirosis in PWH in Mozambique. Future studies are warranted to characterize the incidence and outcomes of symptomatic leptospirosis in this patient population and to identify circulating serovars and species in the country and region, as well as the implicated reservoirs.

Enhancing leptospirosis control with nanosensing technology: A critical analysis

Leptospirosis is a serious health problem in tropical areas; thus, animals shed leptospires in the environment. Humans are accidental hosts infected through exposure to contaminating bacteria in the environment. One health strategy can be applied to protect and eliminate leptospirosis because this cooperates and coordinates activities between doctors, veterinarians, and ecologists. However, conventional methods still have limitations. Therefore, the main challenges of leptospirosis control are the high sensing of detection methods to screen and control the pathogens. Interestingly, nano sensing combined with a leptospirosis detection approach can increase the sensitivity and eliminate some limitations. This article reviews nanomaterial development for an advanced leptospirosis detection method, e.g., latex beads-based agglutination test, magnetic nanoparticles enrichment, and gold-nanoparticles-based immunochromatographic assay. Thus, nanomaterials can be functionalized with biomolecules or sensing molecules utilized in various mechanisms such as biosensors. Over the last decade, many biosensors have been developed for Leptospira spp. pathogen and others. The evolution of biosensors for leptospirosis detection was designed for high efficiency and might be an alternative tool. In addition, the high-sensing fabrications are useful for leptospires screening in very low levels, for example, soil or water from the environment.

Prevalence and risk factors for human leptospirosis at a hospital serving a pastoralist community, Endulen, Tanzania

BACKGROUND

Leptospirosis is suspected to be a major cause of illness in rural Tanzania associated with close contact with livestock. We sought to determine leptospirosis prevalence, identify infecting Leptospira serogroups, and investigate risk factors for leptospirosis in a rural area of Tanzania where pastoralist animal husbandry practices and sustained livestock contact are common.

METHODS

We enrolled participants at Endulen Hospital, Tanzania. Patients with a history of fever within 72 hours, or a tympanic temperature of ≥38.0°C were eligible. Serum samples were collected at presentation and 4-6 weeks later. Sera were tested using microscopic agglutination testing with 20 Leptospira serovars from 17 serogroups. Acute leptospirosis cases were defined by a ≥four-fold rise in antibody titre between acute and convalescent serum samples or a reciprocal titre ≥400 in either sample. Leptospira seropositivity was defined by a single reciprocal antibody titre ≥100 in either sample. We defined the predominant reactive serogroup as that with the highest titre. We explored risk factors for acute leptospirosis and Leptospira seropositivity using logistic regression modelling.

RESULTS

Of 229 participants, 99 (43.2%) were male and the median (range) age was 27 (0, 78) years. Participation in at least one animal husbandry practice was reported by 160 (69.9%). We identified 18 (7.9%) cases of acute leptospirosis, with Djasiman 8 (44.4%) and Australis 7 (38.9%) the most common predominant reactive serogroups. Overall, 69 (30.1%) participants were Leptospira seropositive and the most common predominant reactive serogroups were Icterohaemorrhagiae (n = 20, 29.0%), Djasiman (n = 19, 27.5%), and Australis (n = 17, 24.6%). Milking cattle (OR 6.27, 95% CI 2.24-7.52) was a risk factor for acute leptospirosis, and milking goats (OR 2.35, 95% CI 1.07-5.16) was a risk factor for Leptospira seropositivity.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified leptospirosis in approximately one in twelve patients attending hospital with fever from this rural community. Interventions that reduce risks associated with milking livestock may reduce human infections.

Optimal control and cost-effectiveness analysis for leptospirosis epidemic

This paper aims to apply an optimal control theory for the autonomous model of the leptospirosis epidemic to examine the effect of four time-dependent control measures on the model dynamics with cost-effectiveness. Pontryagin's Maximum Principle was used to derive the optimality system associated with the optimal control problem. Numerical simulations of the optimality system were performed for different control strategies and the results were presented graphically with and without controls. The optimality system was simulated using the Forward-Backward Sweep method in the Matlab programme. The numerical results revealed that the combination of all optimal control measures is the most effective strategy for minimizing the spread and impact of disease in the community. Furthermore, a cost-effectiveness analysis was performed to determine the most cost-effective strategy using the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio approach and we observed that the rodenticide control-only strategy is most effective to combat the spread of disease when available resources are limited.

Leptospirosis in humans and selected animals in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2014-2022: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Leptospirosis is an emerging neglected tropical zoonotic disease of public health importance causing substantial morbidities and mortalities among humans. The infection is maintained within the population through interactions between humans, animals, and the environment. Understanding the burden of disease in both humans and animals is necessary for effective prevention and control in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Therefore, we aimed to determine the seroprevalence of leptospirosis in humans, selected domestic animals, and rodents in SSA.

METHODS

A comprehensive search was done in six databases: Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, CINAHL, Web of Science, and African Journals Online databases for articles published between 01 January 2014 and 30 August 2022. Thirty-seven articles distributed across 14 out of 46 countries in SSA were included. The random effects meta-analysis model was used to pool the extracted seroprevalence data.

RESULTS

The overall pooled seroprevalence of leptospirosis among humans was 12.7% (95% CI: 7.5,20.8), 15.1% (95% CI: 9.4,23.5), and 4.5% (95% CI: 0.4, 35.6) based on results obtained using ELISA, MAT, and PCR diagnostic methods respectively. The pooled seroprevalence estimates among cattle were 29.2%, 30.1%, and 9.7% based on ELISA, MAT, and PCR respectively. Further, the pooled seroprevalence in goats was 30.0% for studies that used MAT, and among rodents, the pooled seroprevalence estimates were 21.0% for MAT and 9.6% for PCR diagnostic criteria. The seroprevalence of leptospirosis varied extensively between studies, across SSA regions and study setting (rural or urban).

CONCLUSION

Leptospirosis is widespread in SSA in both humans and animals based on the current results of the pooled seroprevalence in the limited studies available. The burden is high in animals and humans and underestimated due to limited studies and challenges with limited diagnostic capacity in most healthcare settings in SSA. Hence, we recommend that leptospirosis should be listed as a disease of concern and be included on the list of routine diagnostics among patients presenting with febrile illness in healthcare settings. Further, we recommend the enhancement of surveillance of leptospirosis in all countries in SSA and the development of strategies with a One Health perspective to effectively prevent and control leptospirosis.

Molecular Characterization of Leptospira Species Detected in the Kidneys of Slaughtered Livestock in Abattoirs in Gauteng Province, South Africa

Leptospira was investigated in kidneys (n = 305) from slaughtered livestock in the Gauteng Province abattoirs, South Africa, using a culture medium to isolate Leptospira, followed by the LipL32 qPCR to detect Leptospira DNA. The SecY gene region was amplified, sequenced, and analyzed for LipL32 qPCR-positive samples or Leptospira isolates. The overall frequency of isolation of Leptospira spp. was 3.9% (12/305), comprising 4.8% (9/186), 4.1% (3/74), and 0% (0/45) from cattle, pigs, and sheep, respectively (p > 0.05). However, with LipL32 qPCR, the overall frequency of Leptospira DNA was 27.5%, consisting of 26.9%, 20.3%, and 42.2% for cattle, pigs, and sheep, respectively (p = 0.03). Based on 22 SecY sequences, the phylogenetic tree identified the L. interrogans cluster with serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae and the L. borgpetersenii cluster with serovar Hardjo bovis strain Lely 607. This study is the first molecular characterization of Leptospira spp. from livestock in South Africa. The reference laboratory uses an eight-serovar microscopic agglutination test panel for leptospirosis diagnosis, of which L. borgpetersenii serovar Hardjo bovis is not part. Our data show that pathogenic L. interrogans and L. borgpetersenii are circulating in the livestock population. Diagnostic use of molecular methods will eliminate or reduce the under-reporting of leptospirosis in livestock, particularly sheep, in South Africa.

Vector-Borne Pathogens in Guard Dogs in Ibadan, Nigeria

Canine vector-borne diseases are of great relevance not only regarding animal welfare but also in relation to the One Health concept. Knowledge concerning the most relevant vector-borne pathogens in dogs is scarce and limited to stray dogs in most western African regions, and there is virtually no information about the situation in kept dogs presenting (regularly) to vets. Therefore, the blood samples of 150 owned guard dogs in the Ibadan area—in the southwest of Nigeria—were collected and analyzed for the DNA of Piroplasmida (Babesia, Hepatozoon, Theileria), Filarioidea (e.g., Dirofilaria immitis, Dirofilaria repens), Anaplasmataceae (e.g., Anaplasma, Ehrlichia), Trypanosomatidae (e.g., Leishmania, Trypanosoma), Rickettsia, Bartonella, Borrelia and hemotropic Mycoplasma using molecular methods. Overall, samples from 18 dogs (12%) tested positive for at least one pathogen. Hepatozoon canis (6%) was the most prevalent blood parasite, followed by Babesia rossi (4%). There was a single positive sample each for Babesia vogeli (0.6%) and Anaplasma platys (0.6%). Moreover, one mixed infection with Trypanosoma brucei/evansi and Trypanosoma congolense kilifi was confirmed (0.67%). Generally, the prevalence of vector-borne pathogens in this sample group of owned dogs in southwest Nigeria was lower than in prior studies from the country and in other parts of Africa in total. This leads to the assumption that, firstly, the exact geographical location has a major influence on the incidence of vector-borne diseases, and, secondly, it seems to make a difference if the dogs are owned and, therefore, regularly checked at a veterinary clinic. This study should raise awareness of the importance of routine health check-ups, tick and mosquito prophylaxis, and a well-managed infectious disease control program to prevent vector-borne diseases in canines.

Systematic map of the most recent evidence (2010-2019) on ruminant production-limiting disease prevalence and associated mortality in Ethiopia

Background

Ethiopia's livestock sector supports the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers. However, despite the improvements of recent years, livestock productivity remains low due to critical constraints, including infectious diseases. The aim of this study was to collate and synthesize the published evidence on ruminant disease frequency and disease-associated mortality in Ethiopia, by identifying knowledge gaps and clusters in the literature to provide the basis for a decision-making tool.

Methods

Searches on both bibliographic and organization databases were conducted in English and were restricted to the period 2010-2019. Search results were screened for relevance at title, abstract and full text level.

Results

There were 716 articles identified relevant to the research question. The systematic map revealed an increased publication output from 2012-2017, compared to 2010-2011 and 2018-2019. Most studies were conducted in Oromia, Amhara and SNNPR. A substantial body of evidence was found for trypanosomosis, ectoparasite infestation, fasciolosis, nematodiasis, echinococcosis, and brucellosis.

Conclusion

This study suggests that despite the high output of epidemiological publications, further understanding of a considerable number of diseases is required and where evidence is abundant, synthesis of information should be carried out in order to better inform decisions on disease control priorities in the livestock sector.

Prevalence of anti-leptospiral IgM and detection of pathogenic Leptospira species DNA in neonates presenting with clinical sepsis in Southwestern Uganda

BACKGROUND

Leptospirosis is an emerging neglected zoonotic disease that presents with nonspecific signs/symptoms and it can be mistaken for other diseases. Owing to limited diagnostic capacity and unawareness, the data on human leptospirosis particularly in neonates are scarce in many sub-Saharan countries. It has been underreported hindering preventive and control measures in place. The study aimed at determining prevalence of leptospirosis as a cause of febrile illness in neonates using IgM ELISA and a quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR).

METHODS

This was a descriptive cross-sectional study that included 103 neonatal sepsis cases whose parents/legal guardians gave informed consent. The data on demographic and clinical characteristics were collected using structured data collection form. EDTA whole blood sample was collected from the neonates by trained study nurses. From the samples, IgM ELISA was done using automated analyzers, DNA extracted and qPCR was performed using primers for LipL32, specific for the pathogenic leptospires.

RESULTS

The prevalence of anti-leptospiral IgM among the neonates as determined by ELISA was 4.3%, where all of them presented with lethargy and poor feeding. No pathogenic Leptospira species DNA was amplified by qPCR.

CONCLUSIONS

Evidence of leptospirosis was demonstrated in neonatal sepsis cases in this study. The findings suggest considerations of leptospirosis in the differential diagnosis of neonates with sepsis. More data are needed on the real epidemiology, clinical features, and burden of leptospirosis in neonates. There is need to include intermediate pathogenic species of Leptospira in the diagnostic qPCR assays.

An Overview of Anthropogenic Actions as Drivers for Emerging and Re-Emerging Zoonotic Diseases

Population growth and industrialization have led to a race for greater food and supply productivity. As a result, the occupation and population of forest areas, contact with wildlife and their respective parasites and vectors, the trafficking and consumption of wildlife, the pollution of water sources, and the accumulation of waste occur more frequently. Concurrently, the agricultural and livestock production for human consumption has accelerated, often in a disorderly way, leading to the deforestation of areas that are essential for the planet's climatic and ecological balance. The effects of human actions on other ecosystems such as the marine ecosystem cause equally serious damage, such as the pollution of this habitat, and the reduction of the supply of fish and other animals, causing the coastal population to move to the continent. The sum of these factors leads to an increase in the demands such as housing, basic sanitation, and medical assistance, making these populations underserved and vulnerable to the effects of global warming and to the emergence of emerging and re-emerging diseases. In this article, we discuss the anthropic actions such as climate changes, urbanization, deforestation, the trafficking and eating of wild animals, as well as unsustainable agricultural intensification which are drivers for emerging and re-emerging of zoonotic pathogens such as viral (Ebola virus, hantaviruses, Hendravirus, Nipah virus, rabies, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease-2), bacterial (leptospirosis, Lyme borreliosis, and tuberculosis), parasitic (leishmaniasis) and fungal pathogens, which pose a substantial threat to the global community. Finally, we shed light on the urgent demand for the implementation of the One Health concept as a collaborative global approach to raise awareness and educate people about the science behind and the battle against zoonotic pathogens to mitigate the threat for both humans and animals.

SARS-CoV-2 at the Human-Animal Interface: Implication for Global Public Health from an African Perspective

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become the most far-reaching public health crisis of modern times. Several efforts are underway to unravel its root cause as well as to proffer adequate preventive or inhibitive measures. Zoonotic spillover of the causative virus from an animal reservoir to the human population is being studied as the most likely event leading to the pandemic. Consequently, it is important to consider viral evolution and the process of spread within zoonotic anthropogenic transmission cycles as a global public health impact. The diverse routes of interspecies transmission of SARS-CoV-2 offer great potential for a future reservoir of pandemic viruses evolving from the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic circulation. To mitigate possible future infectious disease outbreaks in Africa and elsewhere, there is an urgent need for adequate global surveillance, prevention, and control measures that must include a focus on known and novel emerging zoonotic pathogens through a one health approach. Human immunization efforts should be approached equally through the transfer of cutting-edge technology for vaccine manufacturing throughout the world to ensure global public health and one health.

Leptospirosis in Vietnam

Leptospirosis poses a serious public health problem in many countries because about 1 million people suffer annually from this severe, often fatal, infection. At present, its importance has been increasing due to development of integration processes, globalization and intensification of economic activities, inevitable anthropogenic transformation of landscapes as well as rise in number of people with occupational risk of pathogen exposure. The burden of human leptospirosis is expected to rise with demographic shifts and climate change that result in heavy rainfall and flooding. Regarding leptospirosis, Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, is among the most vulnerable global regions. The objective of the review was to analyze available published data on the spread of leptospirosis in Vietnam. More than 100 research articles were analyzed allowing to state that in Vietnam synanthropic rodents (rats), agricultural (buffaloes, cattle, pigs) and domestic animals (cats, dogs) are the main sources of leptospirosis infection in humans. It is essential that rats (cats and dogs also) in Vietnam are used for food. Among all farm animals, pigs are of maximal importance as a source of infection in humans. In Vietnam, Leptospira prevalence in pigs varies widely, up to 73%. It depends significantly on the location, farm size, age and gender of animals, etc. A large variety of Leptospira serovars have been identified in pigs in Vietnam: Tarassovi, Bratislava, Australis, Javanica, Autumnalis, Grippotyphosa, and some others. Official Vietnam reporting of leptospirosis cases based on clinical data does not reflect the real-life incidence rate in humans. However, the available seroprevalence studies reveal that, on average, about 10% of the Vietnamese population are infected with Leptospira. Work in agriculture is the dominant risk factor for acquiring this infection. The highest Leptospira seroprevalence rates were detected in farmers, 63.2%. Serovar diversity is typical for pathogenic Leptospira circulating in Vietnam. In humans, the most frequent are antibodies to Hebdomadis, Wolffi and Icterohaemorrhagiae, but the frequency varied markedly across the country depending on the site, possibly with relation to the environment, as well as with economic activity of the local population. In Vietnam, geographic, climatic and social differences between northern, central and southern regions contribute to the specificity of local leptospirosis epidemiology. This emphasizes the advisability of developing special measures for leptospirosis prevention taking into account regional peculiarities.

A Mathematical Model Analysis for the Transmission Dynamics of Leptospirosis Disease in Human and Rodent Populations

This work is aimed at formulating and analyzing a compartmental mathematical model to investigate the impact of rodent-born leptospirosis on the human population by considering a load of pathogenic agents of the disease in an environment and the incidence rate of human infection due to the interaction between infected rodents and the environment. Firstly, the basic properties of the model, the equilibria points, and their stability analysis are studied. We also found the basic reproduction number (R₀) of the model using the next-generation matrix approach. From the stability analysis, we obtained that the disease-free equilibrium (DFE) is globally asymptotically stable if R₀ < 1 and unstable otherwise. The local stability of endemic equilibrium is performed using the phenomenon of the center manifold theory, and the model exhibits forward bifurcation. The most sensitive parameters on the model outcome are also identified using the normalized forward sensitivity index. Finally, numerical simulations of the model are performed to show the stability behavior of endemic equilibrium and the varying effect of the human transmission rates, human recovery rate, and the mortality rate rodents on the model dynamics. The model is simulated using the forward fourth-order Runge-Kutta method, and the results are presented graphically. From graphical stability analysis, we observed that all trajectories of the model solutions evolve towards the unique endemic equilibrium over time when R₀ > 1. Our numerical results revealed that decreasing the transmission rates and increasing the rate of recovery and reduction of the rodent population using appropriate intervention mechanisms have a significant role in reducing the spread of disease infection in the population.

Fine-scale prevalence and genetic diversity of urban small mammal-borne pathogenic Leptospira in Africa: A spatiotemporal survey within Cotonou, Benin

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease that is caused by spirochete bacteria of the genus Leptospira. Around the world, one million people each year are infected, leading to 60,000 deaths. Infection occurs through contact with environmental pathogens excreted by mammals (notably rodents). Data on Leptospira and leptospirosis in Africa are rather scarce, especially in urban habitats though these appear to be favourable environments for the pathogen circulation and human contamination. Using qPCR, DNA sequencing as well as MST/VNTR approaches, we examined Leptospira occurrence and genetic diversity in 779 commensal small mammals that were sampled over 2 years in the city centre of Cotonou, Benin, from three neighbourhoods with contrasting socio-environmental conditions. Overall prevalence reached 9.1%. However, very marked variations in both space and time were observed, with local peaks of high prevalence but no clear seasonal pattern. In most sites that could be regularly sampled, Leptospira-positive rodents were found at least once, thus confirming the widespread circulation of the pathogen within small mammal communities of Cotonou. Interestingly, an unusual diversity of small mammal-borne Leptospira species and genotypes was retrieved, with up to four species and three different genovars within the same neighbourhood, and even instances of two species and two genovars identified simultaneously within the same household. To our knowledge, such a high genetic diversity has never been described at such a fine scale, a fortiori in Africa and, more generally, within an urban environment. Altogether, our results underline that much remains unknown about leptospirosis as well as the associated infectious risk in African cities where the disease may be massively over-looked.

Prevalence of leptospirosis among patients attending renal and general outpatient clinics in Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda

In this study, we sought to establish the prevalence of leptospirosis among renal patients and general outpatients attending Mulago National Referral Hospital, Uganda. A total of 254 patients were recruited, their blood samples collected and interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaires provided between July and October 2018. These questionnaires captured data on sociodemographic characteristics and symptoms of leptospirosis disease. An individual with an average body temperature of 37.3 ± 1.1 °C was considered to be having fever. The blood samples were analyzed using the standard Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT) with a panel of 14 Leptospira-serovars belonging to 11 serogroups. Prevalence was reported with confidence intervals while questionnaire data was analyzed using logistic regression analysis. We present an overall prevalence of leptospirosis at 4.70% (95% CI = 2.60-8.30) after analysis of samples from recruited patients. This seropositivity (12/254) was classified into 7 serovars, among which, Canicola and Djasiman presented with titers between ≥ 200 and ≥ 400 in samples of both renal patients and outpatients, indicative of the active disease. Djasiman was the highest contributor to the reported prevalence. Overall, most examined participants presented with common symptoms of abdominal pain (AOR = 24.4, 95% CI (2.42-267.89), p = 0.02) and dehydration (AOR = 0.1, 95% CI (0.01-0.69), p = 0.05). Our study suggests that these symptoms and previous history of abdominal pain may be caused by Leptospira infections among the studied participants. We therefore recommend inclusion of leptospirosis in the differential diagnosis for renal and febrile illnesses. Indeed, abdominal pain and dehydration should be further studied with a bigger sample size and for other related febrile illnesses.

Serological and molecular epidemiology of leptospirosis and the role of dogs as sentinel for human infection in Nigeria

Objective

Prospective cross-sectional study of dogs in Nigeria to study leptospirosis, inferred to be endemic in all regions of the country by researchers. Aim is to generate empirical updated evidence of leptospiral infection and delineate serovars involved.

Methods

Study determined the sero-prevalence and infection rate in 342 dogs using sero-assays, culture isolation and novel qPCR. In-house designed primers targeting conserved regions were used to amplify genes in quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR) for leptospiral detection to serogroups. Molecular analysis of the leptospiral 16S rRNA and LipL32 genes were used for identification of pathogenic Leptospira species. Primers targeting the O-antigen (rfb) region of the Leptospira lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were used for differentiating serovars based on comparative melting temperature (T_m) analysis against reference serogroups.

Results

Overall serological and bacteriological prevalence of 56 (16.4%) and 40 (11.7%) respectively was recorded. Vaccination, ages and season(s) were the strongest determinants of infection. Unvaccinated animals, stray dogs and symptomatic dogs presented statistically significant (P < 0.05) higher risk of infection: OR 25.531 (6.108, 106.712; 95% CI).

Discussion

The evidence suggests 1 of every 10 dogs is infected and could be symptomatic for the disease or a carrier of leptospires in the studied region in Nigeria with attendant public health risks.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Acute Kidney Injury in Sub-Saharan African Adults: A Review of the Current Literature

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a complex condition that can occur in both community and hospital settings and has many aetiologies. These aetiologies may be infectious, toxic, surgical, or related to the different management methods. Although it is a major public health problem worldwide, it must be emphasised that both its incidence and mortality rate appear to be very high in sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries compared to developed countries. The profile of AKI is very different from that of more developed countries. There are no reliable statistics on the incidence of AKI in SSA. Infections (malaria, HIV, diarrhoeal, and other diseases), nephrotoxins, and obstetric and surgical complications are the main aetiologies in Africa. The management of AKI is costly and associated with high rates of prolonged hospitalisation and in-hospital mortality.

Enzyme immunoassays (EIA) for serodiagnosis of human leptospirosis: specific IgG3/IgG1 isotyping may further inform diagnosis of acute disease

The laborious microscopic agglutination test (MAT) is the gold standard serologic test for laboratory diagnosis of leptospirosis. We developed EIA based serologic assays using recombinant proteins (rLigA, rLigB, rLipL32) and whole-cell extracts from eight Leptospira serovars as antigen and assessed the diagnostic performance of the new assay within each class, against MAT positive (MAT+) human sera panels from Portugal/PT (n = 143) and Angola/AO (n = 100). We found that a combination of recombinant proteins rLigA, rLigB and rLipL32 correctly identified antigen-specific IgG from patients with clinical and laboratory confirmed leptospirosis (MAT+) with 92% sensitivity and ~ 97% specificity (AUC 0.974) in serum from the provinces of Luanda (LDA) and Huambo (HBO) in Angola. A combination of whole cell extracts of L. interrogans sv Copenhageni (LiC), L. kirschneri Mozdok (LkM), L. borgpetersenii Arborea (LbA) and L. biflexa Patoc (LbP) accurately identified patients with clinical and laboratory confirmed leptospirosis (MAT+) with 100% sensitivity and ~ 98% specificity for all provinces of Angola and Portugal (AUC: 0.997 for AO/LDA/HBO, 1.000 for AO/HLA, 0.999 for PT/AZ and 1.000 for PT/LIS). Interestingly, we found that MAT+ IgG+ serum from Angola had a significantly higher presence of IgD and that IgG3/IgG1 isotypes were significantly increased in the MAT+ IgG+ serum from Portugal. Given that IgM/IgD class and IgG3/IgG1 specific isotypes are produced in the earliest course of infection, immunoglobulin G isotyping may be used to inform diagnosis of acute leptospirosis. The speed, ease of use and accuracy of EIA tests make them excellent alternatives to the laborious and expensive MAT for screening acute infection in areas where circulating serovars of pathogenic Leptospira are well defined.

Rodent–Human Interface: Behavioral Risk Factors and Leptospirosis in a Province in the Central Region of Thailand

This sequential explanatory mixed-method study consisted of analytical, cross-sectional, and qualitative studies. The research was conducted in the Khao Nor and Khao Kaew areas of the Banphot Pisai districts of Nakhon Sawan Province in 2019. Here, we examined the rodent contact characteristics of villagers in these areas and determined the potential characteristics/risk factors associated with rodents using a semi-structured questionnaire, key informant interview (KII), and focus group discussion (FGD). Results of the quantitative study (N1 = 372) characterized participants that contacted rodents per gender, age, occupation, knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP), including their cultural contexts, and beliefs. Ninety participants (24.2%) reported contact with rodents, and the reasons for their direct physical rodent contact were hunting (35, 9.4%), killing (41, 11.0%), preparing rodents as food (33, 8.9%), consuming cooked meats (12, 3.2%), feeding food (4, 1.1%), cleaning feces (17, 4.6%), and cleaning carcasses (33, 8.9%). Moreover, logistic regression results showed that males encountering rodents were statistically significant (Adjusted OR = 3.137, 95% CI 1.914–5.139, p < 0.001). Low monthly household income (<THB 15,000 or <USD 450) was also negatively statistically significant with encountering rodents (Adjusted OR = 0.57, 95% CI 0.33–0.99, p = 0.04). Additionally, the villagers had a low level of knowledge toward zoonotic diseases and inappropriate attitudes and practices toward contacting rodents and zoonotic diseases. Thirty-five qualitative study participants (N2) participated in the KIIs and FGDs. Various rodent contact activities were also reported among the qualitative research participants, such as hunting, consumption, and selling them to their friends and neighbors. However, these rodents also destroyed their belongings, crops, and plants. Some participants also reported that rodents accounted for leptospirosis transmission. As a result, communication intervention should be planned to provide appropriate knowledge and attitude to the villagers, especially among those who have close contact with rodents in the understudied area.

Integrated Lateral Flow Electrochemical Strip for Leptospirosis Diagnosis

LipL32 is an outer membrane protein present only on pathogenic Leptospira species, which is the causative agent of leptospirosis. Leptospirosis symptoms are often misdiagnosed with other febrile illnesses as the clinical manifestations are non-specific. Therefore, an accurate diagnostic tool for leptospirosis is indeed critical for proper and prompt treatment. Typical diagnosis via serological assays is generally performed to assess the antibodies produced against Leptospira. However, their delayed antibody response and complicated procedure undoubtedly limit the practical utilization especially in a primary care setting. Here, we demonstrate for the first time an early-stage detection of LipL32 by an integrated lateral-flow immunoassay with an electrochemical readout (eLFIA). A ferrocene trace tag was monitored via differential pulse voltammetry operated on a smartphone-based device, thus allowing for on-field testing. A superior performance in terms of the lowest detectable limit of detection of 8.53 pg/mL and broad linear dynamic range (5 orders of magnitude) among other sensors available thus far was established. Additionally, the developed test strip provided a straightforward yet sensitive approach for diagnosis of leptospirosis using the collected human sera from patients, in which the results were comparable to the real-time polymerase chain reaction technique.

Clinical presentations, diagnostics, treatments and treatment costs of children and adults with febrile illness in a tertiary referral hospital in south-eastern Guinea: A retrospective longitudinal cohort study

Background

Febrile illness is frequent among patients in the tropics. It is caused by a wide variety of common diseases such as malaria or gastrointestinal infections but also by less common but highly contagious pathogens with epidemic potential. This study describes the clinical features of adult and paediatric patients with febrile illness in in the largest tertiary referral hospital in south-eastern Guinea, a region at high risk for viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks. The study further compares their diagnostic characteristics, treatments and outcomes with non-febrile patients in order to contribute to the local epidemiology of febrile illness.

Methods

We used retrospective data collection to record demographic and clinical data of all incoming patients during a study period of three months. For the follow-up study of inpatients, we retrospectively reviewed patient charts for diagnostic characteristics, diagnoses and outcomes.

Results

Of the 4317 incoming patients during the study period, 9.5% had a febrile illness. The most used diagnostic measures to identify causative agents in febrile patients were point-of-care tests and most treatments relied on antibiotics. Most common discharge diagnoses for febrile inpatients were malaria (9.6% adults, 56.7% children), salmonella gastroenteritis/typhoid (10.6% adults, 7.8% children) and respiratory infection/pneumonia (5.3% adults, 18.7% children). Inpatient mortality for children was significantly higher in febrile than non-febrile children (18.5% vs. 5.1%, p<0.001) and considerably higher in febrile than non-febrile adults (29.8% vs. 25.0%, p = 0.404).

Conclusions

Malaria, respiratory infection and gastroenteritis are considered the main causes for febrile illness. The wide reliance on rapid diagnostic tests to diagnose febrile patients not only risks to over- or under-diagnose certain diseases but also leaves the possibility of highly infectious diseases in febrile patients unexplored. Furthermore, the heavy reliance on antibiotics risks to cause antimicrobial resistance. High mortality rates in febrile patients, especially children, should be of concern to public health authorities.

Sero-prevalence of anti-Leptospira antibodies and associated risk factors in rural Rwanda: A cross-sectional study

Background

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease transmitted through the urine of wild and domestic animals, and is responsible for over 50,000 deaths each year. In East Africa, prevalence varies greatly, from as low as 7% in Kenya to 37% in Somalia. Transmission epidemiology also varies around the world, with research in Nicaragua showing that rodents are the most clinically important, while studies in Egypt and Chile suggest that dogs may play a more important role. There are no published studies of leptospirosis in Rwanda.

Methods & findings

We performed a cross-sectional survey of asymptomatic adults recruited from five occupational categories. Serum samples were tested using ELISA and Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT). We found that 40.1% (151/377) of asymptomatic adults had been exposed to Leptospira spp. Almost 36.3% of positive subjects reported contact with rats (137/377) which represent 90.7% among positive leptospira serology compared with 48.2% of negative subjects (182/377) which represent 80.5% among negative leptospira serology (OR 2.37, CI 1.25–4.49) and 1.7 fold on prevalence ratio and 2.37 of odd ratio. Furthermore, being a crop farmer was significantly associated with leptospirosis (OR 2.06, CI 1.29–3.28). We identified 6 asymptomatic subjects (1.6%) who met criteria for acute infection.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates a high prevalence of leptospiral antibodies infection among asymptomatic adults in rural Rwanda, particularly relative to neighboring countries. Although positive subjects were more likely to report rat contact, we found no independent association between rats and leptospirosis infection. Nonetheless, exposure was high among crop farmers, which is supportive of the hypothesis that rats together with domestic livestock might contribute to the transmission.

Further studies are needed to understand infecting Leptospira servers and elucidate the transmission epidemiology in Rwanda and identify means of host transmitters.

Leptospirosis is the most widespread zoonosis in the world, and infections are underappreciated in regions of the world where it may be mistaken for malaria and other tropical illnesses. We performed a seroprevalence study of leptospirosis in healthy asymptomatic adults in Rwanda. Among 377 subjects, we found evidence of infection in 40.1% (151 / 377), which is higher than in neighboring countries such as Kenya (7 to 16%), Tanzania (10 to 15.8%) and Uganda (15%). Our data suggest that leptospirosis may be a common cause of febrile illness in Rwanda, but further studies are needed to differentiate active from asymptomatic.

Leptospirosis as a cause of fever associated with jaundice in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Background

Fever with jaundice is a common symptom of some infectious diseases. In public health surveillance within the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), yellow fever is the only recognized cause of fever with jaundice. However, only 5% of the surveillance cases are positive for yellow fever and thus indicate the involvement of other pathogens. Leptospira spp. are the causative agents of leptospirosis, a widespread bacterial zoonosis, a known cause of fever with jaundice. This study aimed to determine the seropositivity of anti-Leptospira antibodies among suspected yellow fever cases and map the geographical distribution of possible leptospirosis in the DRC.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study using 1,300 samples from yellow fever surveillance in the DRC from January 2017 to December 2018. Serum samples were screened for the presence of IgM against Leptospira spp. by a whole cell-based IgM ELISA (Patoc-IgM ELISA) at the Institut National de Recherche Biomedicale in Kinshasa (INRB) according to World Health Organization (WHO) guidance. Exploratory univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were undertaken to assess associations between socio-demographic factors and the presence of Leptospira IgM.

Results

Of the 1,300 serum samples screened, 88 (7%) showed evidence of IgM against Leptospira spp. Most positive cases (34%) were young adult males in the 20–29-year group. There were statistically significant associations between having Leptospira IgM antibodies, age, sex, and living area. Observed positive cases were mostly located in urban settings, and the majority lived in the province of Kinshasa. There was a statistically significant association between seasonality and IgM Leptospira spp. positivity amongst those living in Kinshasa, where most of the positive cases occurred during the rainy season.

Conclusions

This study showed that leptospirosis is likely an overlooked cause of unexplained cases of fever with jaundice in the DRC and highlights the need to consider leptospirosis in the differential diagnosis of fever with jaundice, particularly in young adult males. Further studies are needed to identify animal reservoirs, associated risk factors, and the burden of human leptospirosis in the DRC.

Leptospirosis is an important bacterial zoonosis with a worldwide distribution. Each year there are an estimated one million cases, with about 60,000 deaths. The true burden of the disease, however, is unknown. The burden of leptospirosis is probably underestimated due to the lack of specific clinical symptoms and diagnostic techniques that are not readily available. Clinical diagnosis of leptospirosis is difficult because of the diversity of symptoms, ranging from asymptomatic forms to severe multivisceral icteric states. Differential diagnoses with infections presenting with fever or fever and jaundice are numerous and may mislead the clinician. Leptospirosis is considered endemic in sub-Saharan Africa and is known to cause fever with jaundice in African countries; however, for most countries, available epidemiologic data are scarce, including in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). An improved understanding of the epidemiology of leptospirosis will improve clinical management, lead to policy formulation, and have implications for national surveillance of infectious diseases in these countries. We conducted a retrospective seroepidemiological study to extend the description of the pathogens responsible for fever with jaundice in the DRC and to clarify the circulation of possible leptospirosis in the country. This study showed that leptospirosis is a likely cause of fever with jaundice in the DRC.

Pathogenic Leptospira and water quality in African cities: A case study of Cotonou, Benin

Leptospirosis is a waterborne zoonosis (60,000 infections and 1 million deaths annually). Knowledge about the disease in the urban context is surprisingly rare, especially in Africa. Here, we provide the first study of leptospires in waters within an African city. A simple centrifugation-based method was developed to screen waterborne leptospires from remote or poorly areas. Major ions, trace elements, stable isotopes and pathogenic Leptospira were then seasonally investigated in 193 water samples from three neighborhoods of Cotonou (Benin) with different socio-environmental and hydrographic characteristics. Firstly, no leptospire was detected in tap waters. Secondly, although surface contamination cannot be excluded, one groundwater well was found leptospire positive. Thirdly, pathogenic Leptospira mainly contaminated surface waters of temporary and permanent ponds (9.5% and 27.3% of total prevalence, respectively). Isotopic signatures suggest that leptospires occurred in pond waters formed at the beginning of the rainy season following low to moderate rainfall events. Nevertheless, Leptospira-containing waters possess physico-chemical characteristics that are similar to the spectrum of waters sampled throughout the three sites, thus suggesting that Cotonou waters are widely compatible with Leptospira survival. The frequent contact with water exposes Cotonou inhabitants to the risk of leptospirosis which deserves more attention from public health authorities.

Knowledge, attitude, and practices to zoonotic disease risks from livestock birth products among smallholder communities in Ethiopia

Many causes of abortion in livestock are due to zoonotic pathogens that pose serious infection risks for humans. Carefully designed, empirical One Health research allows to untangle the complexity around these risks and guides the development of practical health education guidelines and best prevention practices for veterinary public health interventions. To support this, the study presented here aimed at understanding knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) on zoonotic risks from livestock birth products among rural communities in Ethiopia. From July 2018 to February 2019, a cross-sectional study design was conducted with 327 randomly selected farmers and pastoralists in five districts in three regions in Ethiopia. The structured questionnaire consisted of 48 items to evaluate knowledge (24), attitude (9), and prevention practices (15) related to zoonotic diseases risks from livestock birth products. A unidimensional two-parameter logistic (2-PL) Item Response Theory (IRT) model was used for zoonotic disease risk KAP scale construction and evaluation. The 2-PL IRT model was fitted to determine the probability of a person to appropriately respond to an item with a provided zoonotic disease KAP level. We then examined differential item functioning (DIF) concerning to five important covariates. The attitude subscale had the highest total mean score (37.3, ± 28.92%) and the knowledge subscale had the lowest mean score (22.4, ± 33.6%) among the three subscales. The mixed model regression analysis indicated that region was the only apparent factor explaining differences in zoonotic diseases knowledge, attitude, and practice total mean scores. The knowledge and attitude subscales had good internal consistency with a Cronbach's α at 0.83 and 0.81, respectively, whereas the practice subscale had lower internal consistency with 0.51. There was a positive association between responding to knowledge questions correctly and a positive attitude (r2 = 0.44, p < 0.0001) and self-reported good practice (r2 = 0.307, p < 0.0001). The differential item functioning test showed that 19 of 37 (51.35%) and 12 of 37 (32.43%) items of the retained KAPs survey items had non-uniform and uniform DIF linked to at least one covariate respectively and all the covariates were related with DIF in at least one item. This study found substantial knowledge gaps, a low level of the desired attitude, and high-risk behavioural practices regarding zoonotic disease from livestock birth products. Consequently, livestock keepers are likely exposed to pathogens and thus these practices are an important contributing factor for zoonotic disease infection in people.

Leptospirosis prevalence and risk factors in India: Evidence gap maps

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease of public health importance in India. A country-level evidence gap map was developed to identify gaps on epidemiology of leptospirosis. It is the first such on leptospirosis globally and on any single disease condition in India. The steps for development of evidence gap map were development of a framework to map evidence, retrieval of evidence, data extraction parameters and mapping of available evidence in evidence gap map framework. The prevalence evidence gap map consisted of 157 studies (102 in humans, 55 in animals, and 12 in both). The evidence gap map on risk factors had 120 studies (102 in humans, 11 in animals and 7 in both). There were inter-state differences in availability of research and disparity between animal and human research. Research on high-risk groups was limited and studies did not use the One Health approach to identify epidemiology, which can help understand the issue more comprehensively. The study demonstrates the potential of evidence gap maps to inform research priorities.

M16-Type Metallopeptidases Are Involved in Virulence for Invasiveness and Diffusion of Leptospira interrogans and Transmission of Leptospirosis

BACKGROUND

Leptospirosis is a global zoonotic infectious disease caused by Leptospira interrogans. The pathogen rapidly invades into hosts and diffuses from bloodstream into internal organs and excretes from urine to cause transmission of leptospirosis. However, the mechanism of leptospiral invasiveness remains poorly understood.

METHODS

Proteolytic activity of M16-type metallopeptidases (Lep-MP1/2/3) of L. interrogans was determined by spectrophotometry. Expression and secretion of Lep-MP1/2/3 during infection of cells were detected by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, Western blot assay, and confocal microscopy. Deletion and complementation mutants of the genes encoding Lep-MP1/2/3 were generated to determine the roles of Lep-MP1/2/3 in invasiveness using transwell assay and virulence in hamsters.

RESULTS

Leptospira interrogans but not saprophytic Leptospira biflexa strains were detectable for Lep-MP-1/2/3-encoding genes. rLep-MP1/2/3 hydrolyzed extracellular matrix proteins, but rLep-MP1/3 displayed stronger proteolysis than rLep-MP2, with 123.179/340.136 μmol/L Km and 0.154/0.159 s-1 Kcat values. Expression, secretion and translocation of Lep-MP1/2/3 during infection of cells were increased. ΔMP1/3 but not ΔMP2 mutant presented attenuated transmigration through cell monolayers, decreased leptospiral loading in the blood, lungs, liver, kidneys, and urine, and 10/13-fold decreased 50% lethal dose and milder histopathologic injury in hamsters.

CONCLUSIONS

Lep-MP1 and 3 are involved in virulence of L. interrogans in invasion into hosts and diffusion in vivo, and transmission of leptospirosis.

Seroprevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Canine Leptospira and Brucella Species Infection in West Shewa Zone, Central Ethiopia

Purpose

Canine leptospirosis and brucellosis are significant zoonotic gram-negative bacterial diseases that affect humans and animal species. This study was aimed to estimate the seroprevalence and assess associated risk factors of canine Leptospira and Brucella species infections in Ambo, Bako, and Gojo Towns, West Shewa Zone, Ethiopia.

Methods

A total of 385 serum samples were collected from randomly selected dogs. Antibodies against Brucella and Leptospira species infection were tested using the Enzyme-Linked immunosorbent Assay technique (ELISA). A structured questionnaire survey was administered to each dog-owning household to gather information on potential risk factors. The association between independent and outcome variables was analyzed using the Chi-square test followed by univariable, and multivariable logistic regression analyses.

Results

The overall seroprevalence of Brucella and Leptospira species infections were found to be 15.06% (95% confidence interval (ci): 11.64–19.04%) and 4.16% (95% ci: 2.39–6.67%), respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the town was the significant risk factor of Brucella species infection seropositivity. Accordingly, dogs found in Gojo ((odds ratio (OR)): 17.72 CI: 1.17–117.54, p=0.036) and Bako (OR: 7.99, 95% CI: 0.96–66.37), p=0.054 towns were more at risk to be infected with Brucella species than dogs living in Ambo.

Conclusion

The seroprevalence of Leptospira and Brucella species infections in dogs of the West Shewa Zone was high and moderate, respectively, suggesting the possible transmission of the disease between dogs and other animals. These infections might be an under-recognized threat to public health and animal welfare. Further research on the identification of the serovars of Leptospira and biotypes of Brucella circulating in dogs is encouraged. Finally, knowledge of the comprehensive epidemiology of these diseases is an invaluable input for veterinarians, healthcare professionals, and policy-makers to avoid or manage canine leptospirosis and brucellosis.

Molecular detection and characterization of novel haemotropic Mycoplasma in free-living mole rats from South Africa

The importance of haemotropic Mycoplasma (haemoplasma) infections to animal and human health is increasingly recognised. Although wild rodents are known to host these bacteria, haemoplasma prevalence and diversity in small mammals is under-documented, globally. This is due to the reliance on molecular approaches to detect these unculturable, obligate bacteria and to a paucity of assays targeting informative gene regions. We attempted to address these challenges by evaluating the performance of three 16S rRNA PCR assays for detecting Mycoplasma in four African mole-rat species of the family Bathyergidae. This was achieved by screening DNA samples prepared from lung and liver samples of 260 bathyergids, sampled from natural and urban landscapes in the Western Cape Province with one published and two novel conventional PCR assays. Sequence-confirmed Mycoplasma presence guided calculations of the relative sensitivity and specificity of the assays and revealed that 26.5% of the rodents were haemoplasma-positive. Bathyergus suillus sampled near an informal human settlement had a significantly higher infection rate (42%) than the three bathyergid species sampled from natural settings, for which PCR-positivity ranged from 0% to 36%. The 16S rRNA gene phylogeny identified the presence of six Mycoplasma strains in bathyergids that form a novel monophyletic lineage belonging to the haemofelis group, with 16S rRNA and Rnase P gene phylogenies indicating that the bathyergid-associated haemoplasmas were novel and closely related to Mycoplasma coccoides. Assay sensitivity ranged from 60.3% to 76.8% and specificity from 94.8% to 100% and both were highest for the novel assay targeting a ~ 300 bp region of the 16S rRNA gene. Results confirm the presence of novel haemoplasma strains in bathyergid species from South Africa and emphasise the need for expanded studies on haemoplama prevalence, diversity, and transmission routes in other small mammal species from this biodiverse region.

Causes and Flock Level Risk Factors of Sheep and Goat Abortion in Three Agroecology Zones in Ethiopia

A cross-sectional survey was conducted to estimate the incidence of small ruminant abortion and identify its major causes and potential risk factors in goat and sheep flocks in three agroecology and production systems of Ethiopia. Information on pregnancy outcomes and management risk factors were collected for 299 goat and 242 sheep flocks. Blood samples were collected from 133 sheep and 90 goat flocks and tested for Coxiella burnetii, Brucella spp., Chlamydia abortus, and Toxoplasma gondii. A causal diagram outlined relationships between potential predictor variables and abortion in the flock. The effect of management and exposure to infectious causes on the number of abortions in the flock across agroecology was tested using zero-inflated negative binomial regression. Results showed that 142 (58.68%) goats and 53 (17.73%) sheep flocks reported abortions in the 12 months before the survey. The mean annual flock abortion percentages were 16.1% (±26.23) for does and 12.6% (±23.5) for ewes. Farmers perceived infectious diseases, extreme weather conditions, feed shortage, physical traumas, and plant poisoning as the most important causes of abortion. A higher proportion of abortion was recorded during the short rainy season (March to May) and start of the short dry and cold season (June to August) in the lowland mixed crop-livestock and pastoral agroecology and production system, respectively. Overall, 65.41% sheep and 92.22% goat flocks tested positive for one or more abortion causing agents, namely, C. burnetti, C. abortus, Brucella spp., and T. gondii; mixed infection was found in 31.58% sheep and 63.33% goat flocks. Spending the night in a traditional house and providing supplementary feed for pregnant dams were important management factors which significantly (p ≤ 0.05) decreased the risk of abortion by 2.63 and 4.55 times, respectively. However, the presence of other livestock species and dogs in the household and exposure of the flock to Brucella spp. or anyone of the four tested infectious agents significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased the risk of abortion in sheep and goat flocks. In general, abortion is a challenge for small ruminant production in the study area especially in lowland agroecology and calls for improvement in husbandry practices, health care and biosecurity practices.

Molecular Detection of Pathogenic Leptospira in Grasscutters (Thryonomys swinderianus) from Côte d'Ivoire

The geographical and climatic conditions, hot and humid in Côte d'Ivoire, are favorable to the prolonged survival of leptospira in the environment. In this country, cases of human leptospirosis are underestimated and the wild reservoirs unknown. In this study, 16S rDNA PCR-sequencing and variable number of tandem repeats typing investigations were performed in kidneys collected from 60 grasscutters (Thryonomys swinderianus) around the city of Yamoussoukro, including 10 bred grasscutters and 50 bush meat grasscutters. One sample was positive for Leptospira borgptersenii and another one for Leptospira interrogans; both collected from wild animals. Our study suggests that grasscutters, which are abundant wild rodents hunted and bred for culinary preparations in this region, can be healthy carriers of leptospira. Thus, hygiene measures should be taken, particularly by hunters and cooks.

The prevalence and risk factors associated with Leptospira in donkeys in Ngaka Modiri Molema District, North West Province, South Africa

Background and Aim:

Leptospirosis is one of the major emerging global economic and health problems affecting donkeys, thereby reducing their work output. Furthermore, the disease has public health importance because of its zoonotic nature. Despite the significant contribution donkeys make to the national economy, less attention is given to diseases that afflict donkeys and reduce their productivity and performance. A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the seroprevalence of Leptospira and identify risk factors associated with the occurrence of the disease among donkeys in the study area.

Materials and Methods:

A questionnaire survey was used to collect the following data: Demographic, environmental, management, and health-related factors. Blood samples were aseptically collected from 365 randomly selected donkeys from 19 villages. The sera were tested using the microscopic agglutination test. Categorical variables were summarized and presented as proportions and their 95% confidence interval (CI). A binary logistic regression model was fitted to the data to identify risk factors associated with Leptospira seroprevalence in donkeys within the study areas.

Results:

The majority of the donkeys (29.6%; n=108/365) were from Mafikeng local municipality, and the rest (19.7%; n=72/365) were from Ratlou. Just over half (58.1%; n=212/365) of the donkeys tested were female, and the remaining (41.9%; n=153/365) were males. In addition, most donkeys (42.7%; n=156/365) were between 6 and 12 years old, followed by those between 0 and 5 years (37%; n=135/365), and only 20.3% (n=74/365) were above 12 years. Out of the donkeys tested, 11.5% (95% CI: 4.86-18.14) donkeys tested positive for Leptospira antibodies. The most common serovar was Bratislava (81%; n=34/42), followed by Tarassovi (19.04%; n=8/42). While gender was positively associated with seroprevalence of the disease (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR]=4.88; p=0.0001), the presence of horses (AOR=0.226; p=0.002) and agricultural activities (AOR=0.093; p=0.0001) in the vicinity of the dwellings of the donkeys were negatively associated with Leptospira seropositivity in the study area.

Conclusion:

Findings reported here show that donkeys in the study area are reservoirs for the predominant serovar Bratislava and the less dominant serovar Tarassovi. The gender of the donkey was a risk factor for Leptospira seroprevalence. Further studies are needed to investigate the role of agricultural activities in the vicinity of the dwellings of donkeys on the occurrence of Leptospira in the study area.

Selected Endemic Zoonoses in Pigs Presenting for Slaughter in Kampala, Uganda

Leptospirosis, brucellosis, and Q fever (coxiellosis) are bacterial zoonoses that cause acute febrile illness in people as well as reproductive losses in pigs. Pig keeping is an increasingly important livelihood to millions of smallholder farmers in Uganda because of exponential increases in demand for pork. The prevalence of leptospirosis and Q fever in pigs is unknown, and the few studies of porcine brucellosis have estimated a range of seroprevalence. Therefore, we undertook a prevalence survey of leptospirosis, brucellosis, and Q fever in pigs using quantitative real-time PCR to determine the potential importance of these zoonoses to the growing pig sector in Uganda. Six hundred forty-nine pigs were sampled in 2015–2016 at an urban pork slaughterhouse. Ten percent of pigs (n = 68) had leptospiral DNA in either their kidney or reproductive tissue. In adjusted analyses, variables predictive of leptospiral status included female sex (odds ratio [OR]: 2.37, P < 0.01) and pigs sampled in March 2016 (OR: 2.23, P = 0.02) and October 2016 (OR: 0.30, P = 0.04). DNA fingerprinting revealed circulation of at least four distinct serovars in these pigs. Brucella spp. and Coxiella burnetii DNA were not detected in any sampled pig. This is the first report of widespread circulation of pathogenic Leptospira spp. in pigs in Uganda, suggesting that leptospirosis likely has a greater impact on the health of pigs than was previously recognized. Pig farmers, pig traders, and slaughterhouse workers may be at greatest occupational risk because of their direct contact with infective leptospires in aborted fetuses, bodily fluids, and other tissues.

Combined PCR and MAT improves the early diagnosis of the biphasic illness leptospirosis

The diagnosis of leptospirosis remains a challenge due to its non-specific symptoms and the biphasic nature of the illness. A comprehensive diagnosis that includes both molecular (polymerase chain reaction (PCR)) and serology is vital for early detection of leptospirosis and to avoid misdiagnosis. However, not all samples could be subjected to both tests (serology and molecular) due to budget limitation, infrastructure, and technical expertise at least in resource-limited countries. We evaluated the usefulness of testing the clinically suspected leptospirosis cases with both techniques on all samples collected from the patients on the day of admission. Among the 165 patient’s blood/serum samples tested (from three hospitals in Central Malaysia), 43 (26%) showed positivity by microscopic agglutination test (MAT), 63 (38%) by PCR, while 14 (8%) were positive by both MAT and PCR. For PCR, we tested two molecular targets (lipL32 by qPCR and 16S rDNA or rrs by nested PCR) and detected lipL32 in 47 (29%) and rrs gene in 63 (38%) patients. The use of more than one target gene for PCR increased the detection rates. Hence, a highly sensitive multiplex PCR targeting more than one diagnostic marker is recommended for the early detection of Leptospira in suspected patients. When the frequencies for positivity detected either by MAT or PCR combined, leptospirosis was diagnosed in a total of 92 (56%) patients, a higher frequency compared to when samples were only tested by a single method (MAT or PCR). The results from this study suggest the inclusion of both serology and molecular methods for every first sample irrespective of the days post-onset of symptoms (DPO) collected from patients for early diagnosis of leptospirosis.

The Effect of Environmental Stresses on lipL32 Gene Expression in Pathogenic Leptospira spp. through Real-Time PCR

Leptospirosis is a worldwide infectious and zoonotic disease. The incidence of this disease is high in temperate regions, especially in northern Iran. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of temperature, pH, and Phyllanthus amarus plant extract on the lipL32 gene expression in pathogenic Leptospira spp. Fifty water samples were collected. Culture and PCR technique were used to isolate and identify the bacterium and the presence of the lipL32 gene. The samples were exposed to different temperatures and pH levels for one day and the Ph. amarus plant extract at different concentrations for one and seven days. RNA was extracted, and cDNA synthesis was performed for all the samples. All cDNAs were evaluated by the real-time PCR (SYBR green) technique. Out of the 50 samples, ten samples (20%), using PCR were determined to contain the pathogenic Leptospira. Fold change of the expression of the lipL32 gene associated with stresses was as follows: temperature stress of 40°C, 35°C, and 25°C reduced the lipL32 gene expression in all three isolates, especially in the isolates type 1. The pH stress, i.e., pH values equal to 8 or 9 reduced the gene expression in three types of isolates, and pH = 6 stress increases the lipL32 gene expression in the isolates of type 1. Ph. amarus plant extract stress reduced the mentioned gene expression only in isolates of type 2. Temperature and pH stresses could lead to differences in the expression level and cause the lipL32 gene expression decrease in three pathogenic isolates. The MIC results showed anti-leptospiral effect of Ph. amarus plant extract.

Emerging and re-emerging bacterial zoonoses in Nigeria: current preventive measures and future approaches to intervention

A characteristic of bacterial zoonoses, diseases caused by bacteria that can be transmitted to humans from animals, is a propensity to re-emerge. Several studies demonstrate their ongoing transmission in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa. However, as local epidemiological data on bacterial zoonoses are inadequate the extent and impact of these infectious diseases is under-reported. Consequently, they are not a targeted priority of national public health policies. This limited recognition is despite indications of their possible roles in the widespread prevalence of non-malarial undifferentiated fever in Nigeria. While a number of animal reservoirs and arthropod vectors have been identified in the transmission routes of these diseases, an escalation of cases of undiagnosed febrile illness highlights the urgent need for a comprehensive assessment of other potential reservoirs, vectors and transmission cycles that may increase the local risk of infection with bacterial zoonoses. Animal health interventions have been proposed as a cost-effective strategy. Here, we present a broad overview of bacterial zoonotic infections of humans in Nigeria in the context of evolving epidemiological patterns. Further, we propose that facilitating the operation of a community-based One Health program is essential to providing the comprehensive epidemiological information that is required to improve prioritization of bacterial zoonoses. This would provide a driver for much needed investment in relevant public health interventions in Africa's most populous country.

Seroprevalence of leptospirosis in an endemic mixed urban and semi-urban setting-A community-based study in the district of Colombo, Sri Lanka

Leptospirosis is endemic in Sri Lanka. There is a need for updated seroprevalence studies in endemic areas, to improve the understanding of disease dynamics, risk factors, control methods, and for clinical diagnosis. The cut-off titres for the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) for diagnosis of acute leptospirosis depend on community seroprevalence, and can vary based on locality and serovar. This study aimed to identify the seroprevalence, geographical determinants, and associations of seropositivity of leptospirosis in the district of Colombo in Sri Lanka, and to determine diagnostic cut-off titres for MAT in the community studied. This study utilized a stratified cluster sampling model in the Colombo district of Sri Lanka, to sample individuals living in urban and semi-urban areas. Serovar specific MAT titres were measured on recruited individuals using a panel of saprophytic (Leptospira biflexa) and 11 pathogenic Leptospira spp. serovars. Associations between environmental risk factors and MAT positivity were examined, with location mapping using GIS software. A total of 810 individuals were included. The mean age was 51.71 years (SD 14.02) with male predominance (60%). A total of 429 (53%) tested positive at a titer of 1/40 or more for the saprophytic Leptospira biflexa serovar Patoc. Pathogenic serovar MAT was positive at a titer of 1/40 or more for at least one serovar in 269 (33.2%) individuals. From the perspective of screening for clinical disease, serovar-specific cut-off titres of 1/80 for Leptospira spp. serovars Hebdomadis, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Pomona, Ratnapura and Patoc, 1/160 for serovars Pyrogenes and Cynopteri, and 1/40 for other serovars were determined, based on the 75th quartile MAT titre for each serovar. Serovar Pyrogenes (15.9%) had the highest seroprevalence, with serovars Ratnapura, Bankinang and Australis accounting for 9.9%, 9.6% and 9.3% respectively. When the proposed new cut-offs were applied, Bankinang(9.6%) Australis(9.3%), Pyrogenes(6.9%) and Ratnapura(6.9%) were the most prevalent serovars. No significant differences in seroprevalence or serovar patterns were noted between urban and semi-urban settings. Individuals seropositive for Australis, Ratnapura and Icterohaemorrhagiae were clustered around main water bodies as well as around smaller tributaries and paddy fields. Those positive for the serovar Pyrogenes were clustered around inland tributaries, smaller water sources and paddy fields. Associations of MAT positivity included high risk occupational exposure, environmental exposure including exposure to floods, bathing in rivers and lakes, using well-water for bathing, contact with stagnant water, propensity to skin injuries, presence of rats in the vicinity, and proximity to water sources. For pathogenic serovars, high-risk occupational exposure remained statistically significant following adjustment for other factors (adjusted OR = 2.408, CI 1.711 to 3.388; p<0.0001; Nagelkerke R2 = 0.546). High risk occupational exposure was determined to be independently associated with seropositivity. Baseline community MAT titres vary according to serovar, and presumably the locality. Testing against saprophytic serovars is unreliable. Thus, diagnostic MAT titre cut-offs should be determined based on region and serovar, and the use of a single diagnostic MAT cut-off for all populations is likely to result in false negatives.

Estimating acute human leptospirosis incidence in northern Tanzania using sentinel site and community behavioural surveillance

Many infectious diseases lack robust estimates of incidence from endemic areas, and extrapolating incidence when there are few locations with data remains a major challenge in burden of disease estimation. We sought to combine sentinel surveillance with community behavioural surveillance to estimate leptospirosis incidence. We administered a questionnaire gathering responses on established locally relevant leptospirosis risk factors and recent fever to livestock-owning community members across six districts in northern Tanzania and applied a logistic regression model predicting leptospirosis risk on the basis of behavioural factors that had been previously developed among patients with fever in Moshi Municipal and Moshi Rural Districts. We aggregated probability of leptospirosis by district and estimated incidence in each district by standardizing probabilities to those previously estimated for Moshi Districts. We recruited 286 community participants: Hai District (n = 11), Longido District (59), Monduli District (56), Moshi Municipal District (103), Moshi Rural District (44) and Rombo District (13). The mean predicted probability of leptospirosis by district was Hai 0.029 (0.005, 0.095), Longido 0.071 (0.009, 0.235), Monduli 0.055 (0.009, 0.206), Moshi Rural 0.014 (0.002, 0.049), Moshi Municipal 0.015 (0.004, 0.048) and Rombo 0.031 (0.006, 0.121). We estimated the annual incidence (upper and lower bounds of estimate) per 100,000 people of human leptospirosis among livestock owners by district as Hai 35 (6, 114), Longido 85 (11, 282), Monduli 66 (11, 247), Moshi Rural 17 (2, 59), Moshi Municipal 18 (5, 58) and Rombo 47 (7, 145). Use of community behavioural surveillance may be a useful tool for extrapolating disease incidence beyond sentinel surveillance sites.

Prevalence of plasmodium, leptospira and rickettsia species in Northern Tanzania: a community based survey

BACKGROUND

The overlap of symptoms, geographic and seasonal co-occurrence of Plasmodium, Leptospira and Rickettsia infections makes malaria diagnosis difficult, increasing the chances of misdiagnosis. The paucity of data on the prevalence Plasmodium, Leptospira and Rickettsia infections contributes to an overly diagnosis of malaria. We aimed to determine the prevalence and distribution of Plasmodium, Leptospira and Rickettsia infections in northern Tanzania.

METHODS

A community based, cross sectional survey was conducted in two sites in Northern Tanzania. PCR was used to detect Plasmodium, Leptospira and Rickettsia infections.

RESULTS

The prevalence of P. falciparum and Leptospira spp were 31/128 (24.2%) and 3/128 (2.3%), respectively. No Rickettsia infection was detected in any of the two sites. Taking study sites separately, Plasmodium infection was detected in 31/63(49.2%) of participants in Bondo while Leptospira infection was detected in 3/65(4.6%) of participants in Magugu. Plasmodium was not detected in Magugu while no Leptospira infections were detected in Bondo. Fever was significantly associated with Plasmodium infection (χ2= 12.44, p<0.001) and age (χ2=17.44, p=0.000).

CONCLUSION

Results from this study indicate Plasmodium infection as the main cause of fever in the studied sites. While Plasmodium and Leptospira contribute to fevers, Rickettsia infection is an insignificant cause of fever in Northern Tanzania.

Leptospirosis is an invasive infectious and systemic inflammatory disease

Pathogenic Leptospira species are the causative agents of leptospirosis, a world-spreading zoonotic infectious disease. The pathogens possess a powerful invasiveness by invading human body through mucosal/skin barriers, rapid entry into bloodstream to cause septicemia, diffusion from bloodstream into internal organs and tissues to cause aggravation of disease, and discharge from urine through renal tubules to form natural infectious sources. Leptospirosis patients present severe inflammatory symptoms such as high fever, myalgia and lymphadenectasis. Hemorrhage and jaundice are the pathological features of this disease. Previous studies revealed that some outer membrane proteins of Leptospira interrogans, the most important pathogenic Leptospira species, acted as adherence factors to binding to receptor molecules (fibronectin, laminin and collagens) in extracellular matrix of host cells. Collagenase, metallopeptidases and endoflagellum contributed to the invasiveness of L. interrogans. Except for lipopolysaccharide, multiple hemolysins of L. interrogans displayed a powerful ability to induce pro-inflammatory cytokines and hepatocyte apoptosis. vWA and platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase-like proteins from L. interrogans could induce severe pulmonary hemorrhage in mice. L. interrogans utilized cellular endocytic recycling and vesicular transport systems for intracellular migration and transcellular transport. All the research achievements are helpful for further understanding the virulence of pathogenic Leptospira species and pathogenesis of leptospirosis.

Zoonotic Pathogen Seroprevalence in Cattle in a Wildlife-Livestock Interface, Kenya

A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of Brucella spp. and Leptospira spp. and risk factors of exposure in cattle in three zones with varying land use types and wildlife-livestock interactions. Five villages were selected purposively; two in areas with intensive livestock-wildlife interactions (zone 1), another two in areas with moderate livestock-wildlife interactions (zone 2) and one in areas where wildlife-livestock interactions are rarer (zone 3). Sera samples were collected from 1170 cattle belonging to 390 herds in all the zones and tested for antibodies against Brucella abortus and Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo using ELISA kits. Data on putative risk factors for seropositivity of these pathogens in cattle were collected using a questionnaire. The overall apparent animal-level seroprevalence of brucellosis and leptospirosis was, respectively, 36.9% (95% CI 34.1-39.8) and 23.5% (95% CI 21.1-26.0). Brucella spp. seroprevalence was higher in zone 1 than in zones 2 and 3 (χ2 = 25.1, df = 2, P < 0.001). Zones 1 and 2 had significantly higher Leptospira spp. seroprevalence than zone 3 (χ2 = 7.0, df = 2, P = 0.029). Results of multivariable analyses identified animal sex (female) and zones (high interface area) as significant predictors (P < 0.05) of animal-level seropositivity of Brucella spp. For Leptospira spp., important predictors of animal-level seropositivity were animal sex (female), zones (moderate interface area) and herds utilizing a communal grazing reserve. The seroprevalences of Brucella spp. and Leptospira spp. in cattle were higher in areas with moderate to high wildlife-livestock interactions than those with rare interactions.

Seroprevalence and associated risk factors of leptospirosis in slaughter pigs; a neglected public health risk, western Kenya

BACKGROUND

Leptospirosis is a neglected zoonosis of public health importance transmitted through contact with contaminated soil, water or urine of infected animals. In pigs the disease is characterized by abortion, still births and weak piglets. A cross-sectional study was conducted in May to July 2018 to estimate the sero-prevalence of leptospirosis and factors associated with seropositivity in slaughter pigs. A questionnaire was used to collect information on animal demographics. Serum was tested for anti-leptospiral antibodies using microscopic agglutination test (MAT) with a panel of 8 serovars. Sera were considered positive for sero-reactivity at a MAT titre ≥1:40 against at least one serovar. Chi-square tests were used to measure the strength of association between the MAT test result and exploratory variables.

RESULTS

A total of 252 pig serum samples from seven slaughterhouses were tested for Leptospira antibodies by MAT. Of the 252 pigs sampled, 88.8% (244/252) were indigenous breeds; 55.6% (140/252) were female and 88.7% (220/252) were reared in extensive production systems. Eighty-three (32.9%; 83/252) sera samples tested positive on MAT against at least one serovar. Of the 8 serovars, the highest prevalence was recorded for serovar Lora 21.4% followed by Kenya 5.2%, Sokoine 3.6% and Grippotyphosa at 3.2%. Risk factors for leptospirosis seropositivity in pigs were: originating from farms with other types of livestock (OR 2.3; 95% CI 1.0-4.5) and mature pigs (OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.1-3.3).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that there is a high prevalence of leptospirosis positive pigs at slaughter in a small-holder livestock keeping region of the Lake Victoria basin. The potential for cross species transmission of pathogenic serovars is highlighted as well as the potential for occupational exposure to slaughterhouse personnel. Improvements in husbandry practices (confinement and rodent control) and public health education among slaughterhouse workers and other high-risk groups is recommended.

Leptospirosis, one neglected disease in rural Senegal

A serological study was carried out in two Senegalese villages located in the Sine-Saloum region in order to estimate the presence of anti-leptospiral antibodies in humans and animals, and to identify the predominant serogroups. Seven hundred and forty-nine serum samples were collected from humans (n = 545), dogs (n = 33), donkeys (n = 20), goats (n = 52), sheep (n = 43) and N'Dama cattle (n = 56), all originated from Dielmo and Ndiop villages. All samples were tested for different serovars of pathogenic Leptospira species by the microscopic agglutination test. Considering titres ≥ 1:100, 7.7% [CI 95:5.5 to 9.9] on the 545 human blood samples tested and 42.2% [CI95 :35.4 to 48.9] on the 204 animal blood samples tested were found to be positive to one or more serovars. The results obtained indicate that the Australis serogroup is the most prevalent serogroup in human (67.3%) and cattle (27.3%). Serogroup Icterohaemorhagiae is the most frequent serogroup in goat (55.6%) and donkey (37.5%). Canicola (23.4%), Icterohaemorhagiae (21.1%) and Australis (12.5%) serogroups are the most prevalent serogroups in dogs. This study shows that diverse Leptospira serovars occur in a wide range of wild and domestic mammal species, as well as in humans in Senegal. However, further studies are needed to better understand the complexity of Leptospira epidemiology in Africa, identify the reservoirs of different serogroups and estimate its impact on livestock. Understanding the multi-host epidemiology of leptospirosis is essential to control and prevent the disease.

Pathogenic Leptospira in Commensal Small Mammals from the Extensively Urbanized Coastal Benin

Leptospirosis is caused by spirochete bacteria of the genus Leptospira that affect one million and kill 60,000 persons annually in the world, who get infected through environmental mammal-excreted (notably rodent) pathogens. Using qPCR and DNA sequencing approaches, we here examine Leptospira occurrence and diversity in 971 commensal small mammals in urban and peri-urban habitats from south Benin, where socio-environmental conditions are favorable for human contamination. Prevalence reached 12.9% on average, but showed very important variations in both space and time, thus pointing toward a role of local processes in the maintenance and circulation of rodent-borne leptospires in the area. Prevalence peaks may occur during or one month after moderate (100–200 mm) monthly rainfall, suggesting that rodent-borne leptospires may be more prevalent when standing waters are present, but not at their highest levels (i.e., floods). However, this pattern will have to be confirmed through proper diachronic analysis. Finally, an incomplete but significant host-specificity was observed, with L. kirschneri retrieved only in African shrews, and the invasive Rattus norvegicus and the native Mastomys natalensis preferentially infected by L. interrogans and L. borgpeterseni, respectively. Our study highlights the urgent need for investigations on human leptospirosis in the extensively urbanized Abidjan–Lagos corridor.

Clinical characterization of patients with severe leptospirosis in a tertiary hospital in Cali, Colombia, 2010-2016

Introduction: Leptospirosis is an endemic bacterial infection in Colombia. Its clinical course can be variable and occasionally fatal. There are few studies in the country about severe cases of leptospirosis. Objectives: To describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with a diagnosis of leptospirosis, and their management in a high complexity hospital. Materials and methods: This was a descriptive retrospective study of patients with a serologic diagnosis of leptospirosis between 2010 and 2016. Results: We analyzed 87 patients, 74% of them were men, and 84% were older than 18 years; 35% had a comorbidity, the most common being arterial hypertension (16%) and diabetes mellitus (9%). The most frequent symptoms were fever, nausea, fatigue, myalgia, arthralgia, and abdominal pain. The majority of patients required hospitalization in general wards (61%), with a median stay of six days; 34% required management in the intensive care unit, with a median stay of five days. Mortality was 1.1% (n=1). All patients received treatment with either ceftriaxone or doxycycline. Conclusions: There is a risk of leptospira infections having a late diagnosis given their unspecific clinical presentation, which generates a high number of differential diagnoses. The early management in the intensive care unit could decrease the incidence of complications and the mortality of patients with leptospirosis.