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Ulsenheimer BC, Tonin AA, von Laer AE, Dos Santos HF, Sangioni LA, Fighera R, Dos Santos MY, Brayer DI, de Avila Botton S. Leptospira borgptersenii and Leptospira interrogans identified in wild mammals in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Braz J Microbiol 2024; 55:1941-1948. [PMID: 38691328 PMCID: PMC11153429 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-024-01348-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Leptospira spp. are bacteria responsible for leptospirosis, a zoonotic disease with considerable impacts on the economy, animal health, and public health. This disease has a global distribution and is particularly prevalent in Brazil. Both rural and urban environments are habitats for Leptospira spp., which are primarily transmitted through contact with the urine of infected animals. Consequently, domestic and wild species can harbor these prokaryotes and serve as infection sources for other hosts. In the context of wild animals, there is a dearth of molecular studies elucidating the roles of various animal and bacterial species in the epidemiology of leptospirosis. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the presence of Leptospira spp. DNA in different species of free-living and captive wild animals and to assess the phylogenetic relationships of the identified microorganisms in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The samples were evaluated for the presence of the gene lipL32 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing of the amplified fragment after which phylogenetic analyzes were carried out. DNA from Leptospira spp. was extracted from kidney tissue from wild animals (Mammalia class). Pathogenic Leptospira spp. DNA was detected in 9.6% (11/114) of the samples, originating from nine species of wild animals, including the white-eared opossum (Didelphis albiventris), skunk (Conepatus chinga), geoffroy's cat (Leopardus geoffroyi), margay (Leopardus wiedii), pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus), capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), neotropical river otter (Lontra longicaudis), and european hare (Lepus europaeus). Phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of Leptospira borgpetersenii and Leptospira interrogans in these animals. This research is the first study contributing to the epidemiology of leptospirosis by identifying L. borgpetersenii and L. interrogans in free-living and captive wild animals in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, potentially acting as bacterial reservoirs. Additionally, our findings can inform sanitary measures for controlling and preventing the disease, thereby safeguarding public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Carolina Ulsenheimer
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva (DMVP), Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária (PPGMV), Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Centro de Ciências Rurais (CCR), Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 97105-900, Brasil
- Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia (DMIP), Laboratório de Diagnóstico e Pesquisa em Leptospirose (LabLepto), Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Centro de Ciências da Saúde (CCS), Santa Maria, CEP 97105-900, Brasil
| | - Alexandre Alberto Tonin
- Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia (DMIP), Laboratório de Diagnóstico e Pesquisa em Leptospirose (LabLepto), Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Centro de Ciências da Saúde (CCS), Santa Maria, CEP 97105-900, Brasil
- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Amazonas (IFAM), Campus Manaus, Manaus, Amazonas, CEP 69083-000, Brasil
| | - Ana Eucares von Laer
- Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia (DMIP), Laboratório de Diagnóstico e Pesquisa em Leptospirose (LabLepto), Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Centro de Ciências da Saúde (CCS), Santa Maria, CEP 97105-900, Brasil
| | - Helton Fernandes Dos Santos
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva (DMVP), Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária (PPGMV), Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Centro de Ciências Rurais (CCR), Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 97105-900, Brasil
| | - Luís Antônio Sangioni
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva (DMVP), Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária (PPGMV), Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Centro de Ciências Rurais (CCR), Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 97105-900, Brasil
| | - Rafael Fighera
- Departamento de Patologia. Laboratório de Patologia Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Centro de Ciências da Saúde (CCS), Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 97105-900, Brasil
| | - Matheus Yuri Dos Santos
- Departamento de Patologia. Laboratório de Patologia Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Centro de Ciências da Saúde (CCS), Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 97105-900, Brasil
| | - Daniela Isabel Brayer
- Instituto de Biologia (IB), Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia (DMIP), Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPel), Capão do Leão, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 96010-900, Brasil
| | - Sônia de Avila Botton
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva (DMVP), Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária (PPGMV), Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Centro de Ciências Rurais (CCR), Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 97105-900, Brasil.
- Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia (DMIP), Laboratório de Diagnóstico e Pesquisa em Leptospirose (LabLepto), Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Centro de Ciências da Saúde (CCS), Santa Maria, CEP 97105-900, Brasil.
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Hamond C, Adam EN, Stone NE, LeCount K, Anderson T, Putz EJ, Camp P, Hicks J, Stuber T, van der Linden H, Bayles DO, Sahl JW, Schlater LK, Wagner DM, Nally JE. Identification of equine mares as reservoir hosts for pathogenic species of Leptospira. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1346713. [PMID: 38784659 PMCID: PMC11112012 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1346713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Equine leptospirosis can result in abortion, stillbirth, neonatal death, placentitis, and uveitis. Horses can also act as subclinical reservoir hosts of infection, which are characterized as asymptomatic carriers that persistently excrete leptospires and transmit disease. In this study, PCR and culture were used to assess urinary shedding of pathogenic Leptospira from 37 asymptomatic mares. Three asymptomatic mares, designated as H2, H8, and H9, were PCR-positive for lipL32, a gene specific for pathogenic species of Leptospira. One asymptomatic mare, H9, was culture-positive, and the recovered isolate was classified as L. kirschneri serogroup Australis serovar Rushan. DNA capture and enrichment of Leptospira genomic DNA from PCR-positive, culture-negative samples determined that asymptomatic mare H8 was also shedding L. kirschneri serogroup Australis, whereas asymptomatic mare H2 was shedding L. interrogans serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae. Sera from all asymptomatic mares were tested by the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) and 35 of 37 (94.6%) were seropositive with titers ranging from 1:100 to 1:3200. In contrast to asymptomatic mares, mare H44 presented with acute spontaneous abortion and a serum MAT titer of 1:102,400 to L. interrogans serogroup Pomona serovar Pomona. Comparison of L. kirschneri serogroup Australis strain H9 with that of L. interrogans serogroup Pomona strain H44 in the hamster model of leptospirosis corroborated differences in virulence of strains. Since lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a protective antigen in bacterin vaccines, the LPS of strain H9 (associated with subclinical carriage) was compared with strain H44 (associated with spontaneous abortion). This revealed different LPS profiles and immunoreactivity with reference antisera. It is essential to know what species and serovars of Leptospira are circulating in equine populations to design efficacious vaccines and diagnostic tests. Our results demonstrate that horses in the US can act as reservoir hosts of leptospirosis and shed diverse pathogenic Leptospira species via urine. This report also details the detection of L. kirschneri serogroup Australis serovar Rushan, a species and serotype of Leptospira, not previously reported in the US.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Hamond
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
- National Centers for Animal Health Leptospira Working Group, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Emma N. Adam
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Nathan E. Stone
- The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
| | - Karen LeCount
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
- National Centers for Animal Health Leptospira Working Group, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Tammy Anderson
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
- National Centers for Animal Health Leptospira Working Group, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Ellie J. Putz
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Patrick Camp
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Jessica Hicks
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Tod Stuber
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Hans van der Linden
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and National Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Leptospirosis, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Darrell O. Bayles
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Jason W. Sahl
- The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
| | - Linda K. Schlater
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
- National Centers for Animal Health Leptospira Working Group, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
| | - David M. Wagner
- The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
| | - Jarlath E. Nally
- National Centers for Animal Health Leptospira Working Group, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
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Hamond C, LeCount K, Browne AS, Anderson T, Stuber T, Hicks J, Camp P, Fernandes LGV, van der Linden H, Goris MGA, Bayles DO, Schlater LK, Nally JE. Concurrent colonization of rodent kidneys with multiple species and serogroups of pathogenic Leptospira. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0120423. [PMID: 37819079 PMCID: PMC10617434 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01204-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Rodents are important reservoir hosts of pathogenic leptospires in the US Virgin Islands. Our previous work determined that trapped rodents were colonized with Leptospira borgpetersenii serogroup Ballum (n = 48) and/or Leptospira kirschneri serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae (n = 3). In addition, nine rodents appeared to be colonized with a mixed population comprising more than one species/serogroup. The aim of this study was to validate this finding by characterizing clonal isolates derived from cultures of mixed species. Cultures of presumptive mixed species (designated LR1, LR5, LR37, LR57, LR60, LR61, LR68, LR70, and LR72) were propagated in different media including Hornsby-Alt-Nally (HAN) media, incubated at both 29℃ and 37℃, and T80/40/LH incubated at 29℃. Polyclonal reference antisera specific for serogroup Ballum and Icterohaemorrhagiae were used to enrich for different serogroups followed by subculture on agar plates. Individual colonies were then selected for genotyping and serotyping. Of the nine cultures of mixed species/serogroups, a single clonal isolate was separated in five of them: L. borgpetersenii serogroup Ballum in LR1, LR5, and LR37, and L. kirschneri serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae in LR60 and LR72. In four of the cultures with mixed species (LR57, LR61, LR68, and LR70), clonal isolates of both L. borgpetersenii serogroup Ballum and L. kirschneri serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae were recovered. Our results definitively establish that rodents can be colonized with more than one species/serogroup of Leptospira concurrently. The identification and characterization of multiple species/serogroups of Leptospira from individual reservoir hosts of infection are essential to understand the epidemiology and transmission of disease to both human and domestic animal populations.IMPORTANCEPathogenic Leptospira, the causative agent of human and animal leptospirosis, comprise a diverse genus of species/serogroups which are inherently difficult to isolate from mammalian hosts due to fastidious growth requirements. Molecular evidence has indicated that reservoir hosts of Leptospira may shed multiple species concurrently. However, evidence of this phenomena by culture has been lacking. Culture is definitive and is essential for comprehensive characterization of recovered isolates by high-resolution genome sequencing and serotyping. In this work, a protocol using recently developed novel media formulations, in conjunction with reference antisera, was developed and validated to demonstrate the recovery of multiple species/serogroups of pathogenic Leptospira from the same host. The identification and characterization of multiple species/serogroups of Leptospira from individual reservoir hosts of infection are essential to understand the epidemiology and transmission of disease to both human and domestic animal populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Hamond
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Animal Plant & Health Inspection Service, US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, USA
- National Center for Animal Health (NCAH) Leptospira working group, US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Karen LeCount
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Animal Plant & Health Inspection Service, US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, USA
- National Center for Animal Health (NCAH) Leptospira working group, US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - A. Springer Browne
- Domestic Animal Health Analytics Team, Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health, US Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Tammy Anderson
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Animal Plant & Health Inspection Service, US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, USA
- National Center for Animal Health (NCAH) Leptospira working group, US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Tod Stuber
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Animal Plant & Health Inspection Service, US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Jessica Hicks
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Animal Plant & Health Inspection Service, US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Patrick Camp
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Animal Plant & Health Inspection Service, US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Luis G. V. Fernandes
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Hans van der Linden
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, WOAH and National Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Leptospirosis, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marga G. A. Goris
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, WOAH and National Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Leptospirosis, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Darrell O. Bayles
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Linda K. Schlater
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Animal Plant & Health Inspection Service, US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, USA
- National Center for Animal Health (NCAH) Leptospira working group, US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Jarlath E. Nally
- National Center for Animal Health (NCAH) Leptospira working group, US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, USA
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, USA
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Stone NE, McDonough RF, Hamond C, LeCount K, Busch JD, Dirsmith KL, Rivera-Garcia S, Soltero F, Arnold LM, Weiner Z, Galloway RL, Schlater LK, Nally JE, Sahl JW, Wagner DM. DNA Capture and Enrichment: A Culture-Independent Approach for Characterizing the Genomic Diversity of Pathogenic Leptospira Species. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1282. [PMID: 37317256 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11051282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Because they are difficult to culture, obtaining genomic information from Leptospira spp. is challenging, hindering the overall understanding of leptospirosis. We designed and validated a culture-independent DNA capture and enrichment system for obtaining Leptospira genomic information from complex human and animal samples. It can be utilized with a variety of complex sample types and diverse species as it was designed using the pan-genome of all known pathogenic Leptospira spp. This system significantly increases the proportion of Leptospira DNA contained within DNA extracts obtained from complex samples, oftentimes reaching >95% even when some estimated starting proportions were <1%. Sequencing enriched extracts results in genomic coverage similar to sequenced isolates, thereby enabling enriched complex extracts to be analyzed together with whole genome sequences from isolates, which facilitates robust species identification and high-resolution genotyping. The system is flexible and can be readily updated when new genomic information becomes available. Implementation of this DNA capture and enrichment system will improve efforts to obtain genomic data from unculturable Leptospira-positive human and animal samples. This, in turn, will lead to a better understanding of the overall genomic diversity and gene content of Leptospira spp. that cause leptospirosis, aiding epidemiology and the development of improved diagnostics and vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan E Stone
- The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Ryelan F McDonough
- The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Camila Hamond
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA 50010, USA
| | - Karen LeCount
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA 50010, USA
| | - Joseph D Busch
- The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Katherine L Dirsmith
- Veterinary Services, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, San Juan, PR 00918, USA
| | - Sarai Rivera-Garcia
- Veterinary Services, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, San Juan, PR 00918, USA
| | - Fred Soltero
- Veterinary Services, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, San Juan, PR 00918, USA
| | - Laura M Arnold
- Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40511, USA
| | - Zachary Weiner
- Bacterial Special Pathogens Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
| | - Renee L Galloway
- Bacterial Special Pathogens Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
| | - Linda K Schlater
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA 50010, USA
| | - Jarlath E Nally
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA 50010, USA
| | - Jason W Sahl
- The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - David M Wagner
- The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
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LeCount K, Fox K, Anderson T, Bayles DO, Stuber T, Hicks J, Schlater LK, Nally JE. Isolation of Leptospira kirschneri serovar Grippotyphosa from a red panda ( Ailurus fulgens) after antimicrobial therapy: Case report. Front Vet Sci 2023; 9:1064147. [PMID: 36819120 PMCID: PMC9932277 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.1064147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A 1-year-old female red panda started showing symptoms of illness, including lethargy, anorexia, abdominal discomfort, and vomiting, shortly after transfer to a new zoo. Serum was tested for leptospirosis using the microscopic agglutination test, and a titer of 1:25,600 to serogroup Grippotyphosa was detected. Antimicrobial treatment with doxycycline was initiated. After completion of treatment and resolution of clinical symptoms, a urine sample was collected to ensure clearance of leptospires and cessation of urinary shedding prior to co-housing with other red pandas. A repeat serum sample taken 13 days later had a lower titer of 1:6,400 to serogroup Grippotyphosa. A sample of the animal's urine was cultured in HAN media and was culture positive for Leptospira. The recovered isolate was completely characterized by whole genome sequencing and serotyping with reference antisera, and the isolate was classified as Leptospira kirschneri serogroup Grippotyphosa serovar Grippotyphosa strain RedPanda1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen LeCount
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service (APHIS), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States,National Center for Animal Health (NCAH) Leptospira Working Group, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Kami Fox
- Fort Wayne Children's Zoo, Fort Wayne, IN, United States
| | - Tammy Anderson
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service (APHIS), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States,National Center for Animal Health (NCAH) Leptospira Working Group, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Darrell O. Bayles
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Tod Stuber
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service (APHIS), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Jessica Hicks
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service (APHIS), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Linda K. Schlater
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service (APHIS), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States,National Center for Animal Health (NCAH) Leptospira Working Group, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Jarlath E. Nally
- National Center for Animal Health (NCAH) Leptospira Working Group, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States,Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States,*Correspondence: Jarlath E. Nally ✉
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