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Hutu I, Boldura OM, Luca I, Pasca SA, Dragoescu AA, Gros RV, Lungu BC, Călugăriță A, Baltă C, Mircu C, Stancu AC. Diagnostic Pathways of Leptospira spp. in Dogs with Kidney Injury. Pathogens 2024; 13:792. [PMID: 39338983 PMCID: PMC11435010 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13090792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2024] [Revised: 09/10/2024] [Accepted: 09/11/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic Leptospira spp. causes leptospirosis in animals and humans globally, leading to systemic infections that can impact vital organs in affected animals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate kidney injury and to perform a retrospective analysis of leptospirosis infection in follow-up dog samples. The retrospective study collected epidemiological information obtained through paraclinical exams, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and molecular biology (qPCR) of cases from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine from Timisoara between September 2016 and May 2023. No correlations were found between Leptospira infection and breed (p = 0.714), gender or castration status (p = 0.890), and anatomic pathology exam results (p = 0.608). Significant associations were found in cases with high levels of azotemia (p = 0.000) and immunological status (vaccinated vs. unvaccinated, p = 0.000), with the leptospirosis risk in unvaccinated animals calculated at OR = 85.500 (95%CI, 6.82-1071.26, p = 0.000). Retrospectively, leptospirosis was diagnosed in 27/65 cases (42%) using the IHC method, while the qPCR assay detected 29/65 cases (45%). This study demonstrates that qPCR is a robust and specific method for postmortem diagnosis of Leptospira spp. infection in dogs, offering higher specificity and reliability compared to traditional IHC methods, which showed 94.74% specificity in our study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioan Hutu
- Horia Cernescu Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences "Regele Mihai I", 300645 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Oana Maria Boldura
- Horia Cernescu Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences "Regele Mihai I", 300645 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Iasmina Luca
- Horia Cernescu Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences "Regele Mihai I", 300645 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Sorin Aurelian Pasca
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences, 700490 Iasi, Romania
| | - Alina Andreea Dragoescu
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Life Sciences "Regele Mihai I", 300645 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Radu Valentin Gros
- Horia Cernescu Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences "Regele Mihai I", 300645 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Bianca Cornelia Lungu
- Horia Cernescu Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences "Regele Mihai I", 300645 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Andrei Călugăriță
- Horia Cernescu Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences "Regele Mihai I", 300645 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Cornel Baltă
- Aurel Ardelean Institute of Life Sciences, Vasile Goldis Western University of Arad, 310025 Arad, Romania
| | - Călin Mircu
- Horia Cernescu Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences "Regele Mihai I", 300645 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Adrian Constantin Stancu
- Horia Cernescu Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences "Regele Mihai I", 300645 Timisoara, Romania
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Lagarde-Guerrero R, Navarro-Arias MDJ, Duran-Pérez SA, Osuna-Ramírez I, Osuna-Martínez LU, Gonzáles-Durán E, Rendon-Maldonado JG. Frequency of Leptospira in the Blood of Patients with Fever of Unknown Origin in Sinaloa, Mexico. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2024. [PMID: 39023575 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2024.0001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Leptospira is a genus of bacteria that causes the zoonotic disease known as leptospirosis, which mainly affects countries with tropical and subtropical climates. Its prevalence may be underestimated because the initial stage of the infection is characterized by presenting a febrile condition that is easily confused with other diseases, such as dengue. This work reports the frequency of leptospirosis in the blood of patients with febrile symptoms of unknown origin. Materials and Methods: A total of 218 peripheral blood samples were analyzed from volunteer participants from Culiacan Sinaloa in June 2019, one half corresponded to patients with undiagnosed febrile symptoms and the other half to asymptomatic volunteers. Data collected included the age and sex of the participants. Leptospira was detected by qPCR using a fragment of the lipL32 gene from the bacteria's genome as a target. Fisher's exact test was used as a statistical method to estimate the relationship between the infection and the data collected. Results: The study group comprised 134 female and 84 male patients ranging from ages 1 to 92 years, averaging 41 years. In this study, Leptospira infection was identified in the blood of 22/218 participating volunteers (10.09%), of which 20/109 (18.34%) presented febrile symptoms, whereas 2/109 (1.83%) were asymptomatic. The most affected participants were women with ages between 27 and 59 years. However, the analysis of the relationship between infection and the variables studied did not show statistical significance. Conclusions: Leptospirosis was detected in blood samples from patients with undiagnosed febrile illness and asymptomatic symptoms in Sinaloa. The lipL32 gene is useful as a target in identifying Leptospira in human blood in the acute phase of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rogelio Lagarde-Guerrero
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biomedicas, Facultad de Ciencias Quimico Biologicas, UAS. Av de las Americas y Blvd., Universitarios, Ciudad Universitaria., Culiacán, 80010 México
| | - María de Jesús Navarro-Arias
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biomedicas, Facultad de Ciencias Quimico Biologicas, UAS. Av de las Americas y Blvd., Universitarios, Ciudad Universitaria., Culiacán, 80010 México
| | - Sergio Alonso Duran-Pérez
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biomedicas, Facultad de Ciencias Quimico Biologicas, UAS. Av de las Americas y Blvd., Universitarios, Ciudad Universitaria., Culiacán, 80010 México
| | - Ignacio Osuna-Ramírez
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biomedicas, Facultad de Ciencias Quimico Biologicas, UAS. Av de las Americas y Blvd., Universitarios, Ciudad Universitaria., Culiacán, 80010 México
| | - Lorenzo Ulises Osuna-Martínez
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biomedicas, Facultad de Ciencias Quimico Biologicas, UAS. Av de las Americas y Blvd., Universitarios, Ciudad Universitaria., Culiacán, 80010 México
| | - Elizabeth Gonzáles-Durán
- Instituto Nacional de Diagnóstico y Referencia Epidemiológicos "Dr. Manuel Martínez Báez" (InDRE), Culiacan, México
| | - José Guadalupe Rendon-Maldonado
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biomedicas, Facultad de Ciencias Quimico Biologicas, UAS. Av de las Americas y Blvd., Universitarios, Ciudad Universitaria., Culiacán, 80010 México
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Rahman MSA, Khor KH, Khairani-Bejo S, Lau SF, Mazlan M, Roslan MA, Ajat MMM, Noor MAM. TaqMan real-time PCR for detection of pathogenic Leptospira spp. in canine clinical samples. J Vet Res 2023; 67:187-195. [PMID: 38143826 PMCID: PMC10740327 DOI: 10.2478/jvetres-2023-0024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Canine leptospirosis has always been a differential diagnosis in dogs presenting with clinical signs and blood profiles associated with kidney and/or liver disease. The conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) provides diagnoses, but real-time PCR-based tests provide earlier confirmation and determine the severity of infection, especially in the acute stage, allowing early detection for immediate treatment decisions. To our knowledge, real-time PCR has not been routinely adopted for clinical investigation in Malaysia. This study evaluated TaqMan real-time PCR (qPCR) assays diagnosing leptospirosis and compared their applicability to clinical samples from dogs with kidney and/or liver disease against a conventional PCR reference. Material and Methods The qPCR assays were validated using existing leptospiral isolates. Whole blood and urine samples were analysed using a conventional PCR, LipL32(1) and LipL32(2) qPCRs and a microscopic agglutination test. The sensitivity and specificity of the qPCRs were determined. Results The LipL32(1) qPCR assay had more diagnostic value than the LipL32(2) qPCR assay. Further evaluation of this assay revealed that it could detect as low as five DNA copies per reaction with high specificity for the tested leptospiral strains. No cross-amplification was observed with other organisms. Analysing the clinical samples, the LipL32(1) qPCR assay had 100.0% sensitivity and >75.0% specificity. Conclusion The LipL32(1) qPCR assay is sensitive, specific and has the potential to be applied in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Sabri Abdul Rahman
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Guelph, Selangor, Malaysia
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Pengkalan Chepa, 16100, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
| | - Kuan Hua Khor
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Guelph, Selangor, Malaysia
- University Veterinary Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | | | - Seng Fong Lau
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Guelph, Selangor, Malaysia
- University Veterinary Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Mazlina Mazlan
- Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Azri Roslan
- Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Selangor, Malaysia
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Athapattu T, Fernando R, Abayawansha R, Fernando P, Fuward M, Samarakoon N, Koizumi N, Gamage C. Carrier Status of Leptospira spp. in Healthy Companion Dogs in Sri Lanka. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2022; 22:93-100. [DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2021.0065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tarindi Athapattu
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
| | - Ruchika Fernando
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
| | - Roshan Abayawansha
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
| | - Palika Fernando
- Division of Bacteriology, Veterinary Research Institute, Gannoruwa, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
| | | | - Nishanthi Samarakoon
- Division of Bacteriology, Veterinary Research Institute, Gannoruwa, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
| | - Nobuo Koizumi
- Department of Bacteriology I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Chandika Gamage
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
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Influence of Selective Agents (EMJH-STAFF), Sample Filtration and pH on Leptospira interrogans Serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae Cultivation and Isolation from Swine Urine. Vet Sci 2021; 8:vetsci8060090. [PMID: 34070655 PMCID: PMC8226611 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci8060090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospira spp. cause the zoonotic disease leptospirosis, which occurs in numerous mammalians worldwide. Isolation is still important for serotyping and genotyping of Leptospira, which in turn is essential for epidemiological surveillance of leptospirosis and the development of diagnostic tests and vaccines. However, isolation of Leptospira from clinical specimens is inherently insensitive. This study was conducted to examine the influence of selective agents, sample filtration, sample pH and the use of phosphate buffered saline (PBS) buffer for sample storage to improve the success of cultivation and isolation of Leptospira interrogans serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae from swine urine. EMJH (Ellinghausen McCullough, Johnson and Harris) medium including the selective agents sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, amphotericin, fosfomycin and 5-fluorouracil (STAFF) increased the success of Leptospira isolation from spiked swine urine samples. Sample filtration yielded only negative results. Isolation in EMJH-STAFF was successful from swine urine with a density as low as 104 Leptospira/mL, and urine with pH ≤ 7 impaired the cultivation rate. Cultivation and isolation were not improved by the addition of PBS to spiked urine samples prior to storage for 24 h at 4 °C. The results of the study demonstrate that cultivation and isolation of leptospires from swine urine can be improved by enhanced methods.
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Poudel A, Hoque MM, Madere S, Bolds S, Price S, Barua S, Adekanmbi F, Kalalah A, Kitchens S, Brown V, Wang C, Lockaby BG. Molecular and Serological Prevalence of Leptospira spp. in Feral Pigs ( Sus scrofa) and their Habitats in Alabama, USA. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9100857. [PMID: 33092307 PMCID: PMC7589127 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9100857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a widespread zoonosis and has been recognized as a re-emerging infectious disease in humans and a variety of wild and domestic animal species. In order to understand the prevalence and diversity of Leptospira spp. in feral pig populations of Alabama, we trapped 315 feral pigs in Bullock County east-central Alabama, and collected 97 environmental samples from riparian areas in Bullock County and Macon County east-central Alabama. Two previously published PCRs followed by DNA sequencing and BLASTn were performed to identify pathogenic Leptospira species in the kidney of feral pigs (3.2%, 10/315) as well as environmental samples collected from the habitats of feral pigs (2.1%, 2/97), but not in the whole blood samples (n = 276) or spleen (n = 51). An ELISA determined that 44.2% of serum samples (122/276) were antibody-positive for Leptospira. The identification of two pathogenic Leptospira species from environmental samples and the high sero-positivity in feral pigs suggests potential pathogen shedding from feral pigs to environments, and to humans and domestic animals. In order to better understand the risk to human health associated with feral swine presence, further studies are warranted to explore the interrelationship between Leptospira spp. shedding in the urine of feral pigs and bacterial culture to explore pathogenicity. Multi-locus sequencing typing (MLST) and microscopic agglutination tests (MAT) should be performed in future studies to make a definite determination of pathogenic Leptospira in feral pigs in Alabama.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anil Poudel
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA; (A.P.); (M.M.H.); (S.P.); (S.B.); (F.A.); (A.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Md Monirul Hoque
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA; (A.P.); (M.M.H.); (S.P.); (S.B.); (F.A.); (A.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Steven Madere
- School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36830, USA; (S.M.); (S.B.)
| | - Sara Bolds
- School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36830, USA; (S.M.); (S.B.)
| | - Stuart Price
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA; (A.P.); (M.M.H.); (S.P.); (S.B.); (F.A.); (A.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Subarna Barua
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA; (A.P.); (M.M.H.); (S.P.); (S.B.); (F.A.); (A.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Folasade Adekanmbi
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA; (A.P.); (M.M.H.); (S.P.); (S.B.); (F.A.); (A.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Anwar Kalalah
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA; (A.P.); (M.M.H.); (S.P.); (S.B.); (F.A.); (A.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Steven Kitchens
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA; (A.P.); (M.M.H.); (S.P.); (S.B.); (F.A.); (A.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Vienna Brown
- USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services, National Feral Swine Damage Management Program, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA;
| | - Chengming Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA; (A.P.); (M.M.H.); (S.P.); (S.B.); (F.A.); (A.K.); (S.K.)
- Correspondence: (C.W.); (B.G.L.)
| | - B. Graeme Lockaby
- School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36830, USA; (S.M.); (S.B.)
- Correspondence: (C.W.); (B.G.L.)
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Abstract
Several diagnostic tests are available to aid veterinarians in diagnosis of leptospirosis. Understanding the course of infection is imperative to determining which diagnostic test to order and sample to submit. Diagnostic tests for dogs suspected of having leptospirosis include antibody-based tests and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Paired acute and convalescent microscopic agglutination test (MAT) are diagnostic for leptospirosis. PCR performed on blood and/or urine can be a valuable tool to aid in diagnosis of leptospirosis. Commercially available rapid point-of-care diagnostics have been validated in dogs and have value early in the course of illness before MAT and PCR results are available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krystle L Reagan
- Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, University of California, 1 Shields Ave Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Jane E Sykes
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of California, 1 Shields Ave Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Zaidi S, Bouam A, Bessas A, Hezil D, Ghaoui H, Ait-Oudhia K, Drancourt M, Bitam I. Urinary shedding of pathogenic Leptospira in stray dogs and cats, Algiers: A prospective study. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0197068. [PMID: 29768448 PMCID: PMC5955589 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Leptospirosis is an important worldwide zoonosis. This disease is caused by pathogenic species of the genus Leptospira which are maintained in the environment via chronic renal infection of carrier animals which can be asymptomatic excretors of the organisms in their urines and become a source of infection for humans and other hosts. The prevalence of animal leptospirosis in Algiers, Algeria, is unknown. Methodology/principal findings Real-time PCR and standard PCR and sequencing were used to detect pathogenic Leptospira organisms in the urines of stray dogs and cats in Algiers. In the presence of appropriate controls, none of the 107 cat urine samples were positive while 5/104 (4.8%) canine urine samples (asymptomatic mixed-breed dogs, three females and two males) were positive in two real-time PCR assays targeting the rrs and hsp genes. The positivity of these samples was confirmed by partial PCR-sequencing of the rpoB gene which yielded 100% sequence similarity with Leptospira interrogans reference sequence. In this study, L. interrogans prevalence was significantly higher in dogs aged < one year (16.46% - 29.41%) than in adults (0%) (P value = 0.0001) and then in the overall dog population (2.68% - 4.8%) (P = 0.0007). Conclusions/significance These results suggest that dogs are maintenance hosts for zoonotic leptospirosis in Algiers, Algeria. To face this situation, effective canine vaccination strategies and raising public health awareness are mandatory. Further investigations incorporating a larger sample in more localities will be undertaken to document the epidemiology of urban animal leptospirosis in Algeria at large.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Zaidi
- Ecole Nationale Supérieure Vétérinaire, Alger, Algérie
| | - Amar Bouam
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Amina Bessas
- Ecole Nationale Supérieure Vétérinaire, Alger, Algérie
| | - Djamila Hezil
- Ecole Nationale Supérieure Vétérinaire, Alger, Algérie
| | - Hicham Ghaoui
- Ecole Nationale Supérieure Vétérinaire, Alger, Algérie
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | | | - Michel Drancourt
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Idir Bitam
- Ecole Supérieure en Sciences de l'Aliment et des Industries Agroalimentaires (ESSAIA), El Harrach, Alger, Algérie
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, VITROME, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
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Lizer J, Velineni S, Weber A, Krecic M, Meeus P. Evaluation of 3 Serological Tests for Early Detection Of Leptospira-specific Antibodies in Experimentally Infected Dogs. J Vet Intern Med 2018; 32:201-207. [PMID: 29131400 PMCID: PMC5787205 DOI: 10.1111/jvim.14865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Revised: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leptospirosis in dogs is a disease of global importance. Early detection and appropriate therapeutic intervention are necessary to resolve infection and prevent zoonotic transmission. However, its diagnosis is hindered by nonspecific clinical signs and lack of rapid diagnostic tests of early infection. Recently, 2 rapid point-of-care tests (WITNESS Lepto [WITNESS Lepto, Zoetis LLC, Kalamazoo, MI, USA] and SNAP Lepto [SNAP Lepto, IDEXX Laboratories, Westbrook, ME, USA]) for detection of Leptospira-specific antibodies in canine sera were developed. HYPOTHESIS Immunoglobulin M-based WITNESS Lepto containing multiple detection antigens can detect Leptospira-specific antibodies to common leptospiral serovars earlier in the course of infection as compared to microscopic agglutination test (MAT) and SNAP Lepto. ANIMALS Four groups of 8 6- to 8-month-old male Beagle dogs were used. METHODS Thirty-two healthy seronegative dogs were inoculated experimentally with serovars Canicola, Grippotyphosa, Icterohaemorrhagiae, and Pomona (8 dogs/serovar). Acute-phase sera were collected at regular intervals and monitored for Leptospira-specific antibodies by WITNESS Lepto, MAT, and SNAP Lepto. RESULTS Seroconversion was detected in all dogs by day 10 by WITNESS Lepto and in 30 of 32 dogs by day 14 by MAT. The SNAP Lepto test detected seroconversion in 3 dogs during the 2 weeks postchallenge. CONCLUSIONS Immunoglobulin M-based WITNESS Lepto detected immune responses specific to multiple leptospiral serovars early in the course of infection and identified seroconversion in all animals earlier than did the gold standard MAT. The SNAP Lepto test displayed considerably lower and inconsistent performance during the study period. At the point-of-care, WITNESS Lepto should be the test of choice for rapid and reliable screening of acutely ill dogs suspected to have leptospirosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Lizer
- Veterinary Medicine Research and DevelopmentZoetisKalamazooMI
| | - S. Velineni
- Veterinary Medicine Research and DevelopmentZoetisKalamazooMI
| | - A. Weber
- Veterinary Medicine Research and DevelopmentZoetisKalamazooMI
| | | | - P. Meeus
- Veterinary Medicine Research and DevelopmentZoetisKalamazooMI
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Leptospira Seroprevalence in Domestic Dogs and Cats on the Caribbean Island of Saint Kitts. Vet Med Int 2017; 2017:5904757. [PMID: 29279785 PMCID: PMC5723954 DOI: 10.1155/2017/5904757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Revised: 10/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis is an important bacterial zoonotic disease that affects humans and many animal species. Knowledge of prevalence of Leptospira in a given geographic region supports the implementation of effective control/prevention programmes and thus reduces the transmission risks. This study provides Leptospira seroprevalence and serovar distribution in dogs and cats on the Caribbean island of Saint Kitts. Convenient serum samples from domestic dogs (n = 101) and cats (n = 50) were tested by the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) using 21 Leptospira serovars belonging to 17 serogroups. Seroprevalence was recorded at 73.2% in dogs (95% confidence interval CI: 62.5–80.1%). Agglutinating antibodies to Leptospira were present against 13 of the 21 serovars tested by MAT. The highest seroprevalence was observed for serovar Autumnalis (56.4%) followed by Icterohaemorrhagiae (27.7%), Canicola (17.8%), Djasiman (14.9%), Bratislava (11.9%), Pyrogenes (11.9%), and Pomona (7.9%). A very low seroprevalence (4%, 95% CI: 0.5–14%) was observed in cats. This data confirms that dogs in Saint Kitts have a high-level exposure to a diverse set of Leptospira serovars.
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Leptospirosis in Central America: Techniques for Diagnosis and Molecular Characterization. CURRENT TROPICAL MEDICINE REPORTS 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s40475-017-0106-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Gentilini F, Zanoni RG, Zambon E, Turba ME. A comparison of two real-time polymerase chain reaction assays using hybridization probes targeting either 16S ribosomal RNA or a subsurface lipoprotein gene for detecting leptospires in canine urine. J Vet Diagn Invest 2015; 27:696-703. [DOI: 10.1177/1040638715610378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospires are excreted in the urine of infected animals, and the prompt detection of leptospiral DNA using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is increasingly being used. However, contradictory data has emerged concerning the diagnostic accuracy of the most popular PCR assays that target either the 16S ribosomal RNA ( rrs) or the subsurface lipoprotein ( LipL32) genes. In order to clarify the effect of the gene target, a novel hydrolysis probe–based, quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay targeting the LipL32 gene was developed, validated, and then compared directly to the previously described rrs hydrolysis probe–based qPCR using a convenience collection of canine urine samples. The novel LipL32 qPCR assay was linear from 5.9 × 106 to 59 genome equivalents per reaction. Both the LipL32 and the rrs qPCR assays showed a limit of detection of 10 target copies per reaction indicating an approximately equivalent analytical sensitivity. Both assays amplified all 20 pathogenic leptospiral strains tested but did not amplify a representative collection of bacteria commonly found in voided canine urine. When the field samples were assayed, 1 and 5 out of 184 samples yielded an amplification signal in the LipL32 and rrs assays, respectively. Nevertheless, when the limit of detection was considered as the cutoff for interpreting findings, the 4 discordant cases were judged as negative. In conclusion, our study confirmed that both LipL32 and rrs are suitable targets for qPCR for the detection of leptospiral DNA in canine urine. However, the rrs target requires the mandatory use of a cutoff value in order to correctly interpret spurious amplifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Gentilini
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Ozzano dell’Emilia, Bologna, Italy (Gentilini, Zanoni, Zambon)
- Genefast srl, Bazzano, Bologna, Italy (Turba)
| | - Renato Giulio Zanoni
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Ozzano dell’Emilia, Bologna, Italy (Gentilini, Zanoni, Zambon)
- Genefast srl, Bazzano, Bologna, Italy (Turba)
| | - Elisa Zambon
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Ozzano dell’Emilia, Bologna, Italy (Gentilini, Zanoni, Zambon)
- Genefast srl, Bazzano, Bologna, Italy (Turba)
| | - Maria Elena Turba
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Ozzano dell’Emilia, Bologna, Italy (Gentilini, Zanoni, Zambon)
- Genefast srl, Bazzano, Bologna, Italy (Turba)
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Sayler KA, Loftis AD, Mahan SM, Barbet AF. Development of a Quantitative PCR Assay for Differentiating the Agent of Heartwater Disease, Ehrlichia ruminantium, from the Panola Mountain Ehrlichia. Transbound Emerg Dis 2015; 63:e260-e269. [PMID: 25807955 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Panola Mountain Ehrlichia (PME) is an emerging Ehrlichia sp. reported in ten US states. Based on the sequence homology of all known genes, PME is closely related to Ehrlichia ruminantium (ER), the causative agent of heartwater. Heartwater is an economically important tick-borne disease of cattle, sheep and goats responsible for stock losses in sub-Saharan Africa. Unfortunately, ER was imported to the Caribbean islands in the 19th century, and the presence of this foreign animal disease in the Caribbean poses a threat to the US mainland. If introduced, a heartwater outbreak would cause massive losses of naïve livestock. The serologic assay of choice to diagnose heartwater is cross-reactive with Ehrlichia spp., including PME, as we demonstrate here, which would confound disease surveillance in the event of a heartwater outbreak. The purpose of this study was to develop a diagnostic assay capable of rapidly distinguishing between these pathogens. Using synthetic MAP-1B peptides for ER and PME, we tested the cross-reactivity of this assay using sera from infected livestock. The MAP-1B ELISA cannot distinguish between animals infected with PME and ER. Therefore, a dual-plex Taqman™ qPCR assay targeting the groEL gene of PME and ER was developed and validated. Primers were designed that are conserved among all known strains of ER, allowing for the amplification of strains from the Caribbean and Africa. The assay is highly sensitive (10 copies of DNA) and specific. This assay distinguishes between infection with PME and ER and will be a valuable tool in the event of heartwater outbreak on the US mainland, or for epidemiological studies involving either disease-causing organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A Sayler
- Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. .,Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - A D Loftis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - S M Mahan
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.,Zoetis, Kalamazoo, MI, USA
| | - A F Barbet
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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