1
|
Aymée L, Dos Santos Baptista Borges AL, de Souza GN, Lilenbaum W. Is microscopic agglutination test a reliable method for diagnosing the bovine genital leptospirosis syndrome? Vet Res Commun 2024:10.1007/s11259-024-10560-4. [PMID: 39340735 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-024-10560-4] [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: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 09/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024]
Abstract
Bovine Genital Leptospirosis (BGL) is a chronic reproductive syndrome characterized by genital infection by Leptospira spp. An accurate diagnosis of BGL is crucial to implementing proper control measures in field conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the reliability of serology by Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT) for diagnosing leptospirosis in subfertile cows with genital infection. Of three herds, 93 non-pregnant cows with reproductive failures were submitted to the blood sampling (serology by MAT) and genital samples (lipL32-PCR). A total of 62/93 (66.6%) cows presented seroreactive to cutoff 100, while 45/93 (48.4%) cows were positive to cutoff 200, mainly against the Sejroe serogroup. In PCR analysis, 55/93 (59.1%) were positive. MAT results were compared with PCR (considered the standard), and test parameters and Cohen's kappa (ƙ) were calculated for the cut-offs 100 and 200. A ROC curve was performed for each cut-off of titers 100 to 1,600. The sensitivity and specificity of MAT100 were calculated at 66.6% and 33.3%, while for MAT200 the sensitivity was estimated as 35% and specificity as 54.5%. The accuracy of MAT was poor, being 54.8% in MAT100 and 42% in MAT200. Furthermore, the area under the curve of ROC analysis was low for all titers, and the correlation was poor for MAT100 and MAT200 (ƙ < 0). The results demonstrated that MAT is a limited technique to diagnose bovine genital carriers individually, and if only MAT is applied, genital carriers may pass undetected, impairing the control programs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luiza Aymée
- Laboratory of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Fluminense University, Niterói, Brazil
| | | | | | - Walter Lilenbaum
- Laboratory of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Fluminense University, Niterói, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
da Costa Barnabé NN, Soares RR, Barros DKS, Araújo Júnior JP, Malossi CD, Rodrigues Silva MLC, Brasil AWDL, da Costa DF, Higino SSDS, Santos CDSAB, de Azevedo SS, Alves CJ. The Role of Transplacental Infection in Leptospira spp. Epidemiology in Cattle in Caatinga Biome, Brazil. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1044. [PMID: 38930426 PMCID: PMC11205532 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12061044] [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: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis is an infectious disease that affects domestic animals, wild animals, and humans. It represents a public health problem and has an important economic impact on livestock. This study aims to investigate the importance of genital and transplacental infection in the epidemiology of leptospirosis in cows maintained in Caatinga biome conditions, Northeastern Brazil, as well as reporting organs colonized by Leptospira spp. in embryos and fetuses. Blood, urinary tract (urine, bladder, and kidney), and reproductive tract (vaginal fluid, uterus, uterine tube, ovary, and placenta) samples were collected from 15 slaughtered pregnant cows. Two embryos and 13 fetuses were sampled. Central nervous system and choroid ovoid samples were collected from embryos. Blood, central nervous system, lung, peritoneal liquid, abomasal content, liver, spleen, urine, bladder, kidney, and reproductive system samples were collected from fetuses. Diagnostic methods included the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) using a collection of 24 serovars belonging to 17 different pathogenic serogroups of five species as antigens, as well as polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies were found in 9 cows (60%), while 13 cows (86.67%) had at least one organ or urine with leptospiral DNA. No fetus was seroreactive. Among the embryos and fetuses, 13 (86.67%) presented leptospiral DNA, proving a high frequency of transplacental infection (100%). For cows, the most frequent biological materials regarding Leptospira spp. DNA detection were placenta (13 out of 15 samples; 86.7%), uterus (10 out of 15 samples; 66.7%), and vaginal fluid (5 out of 15 samples; 33.3%), while, for fetuses/embryos, the most frequent PCR-positive samples were choroid ovoid (1/2; 50%), spleen (6/13; 46.2%), kidney (5/13; 38.5%), and central nervous system (5/15; 33.3%). Sequenced samples based on the LipL32 gene presented 99% similarity with L. borgpetersenii. The results indicate that transplacental infection is an efficient way of spreading Leptospira spp. in cows maintained in Caatinga biome conditions. Therefore, prevention and control strategies must include actions that interrupt transmission through this alternative route.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nathanael Natércio da Costa Barnabé
- Centro de Saúde Tecnologia Rural (CSTR), Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), Av. Universitária, s/n, Santa Cecília, Patos 58708110, PB, Brazil; (N.N.d.C.B.); (R.R.S.); (D.K.S.B.); (M.L.C.R.S.); (S.S.d.S.H.); (C.d.S.A.B.S.); (C.J.A.)
| | - Rafael Rodrigues Soares
- Centro de Saúde Tecnologia Rural (CSTR), Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), Av. Universitária, s/n, Santa Cecília, Patos 58708110, PB, Brazil; (N.N.d.C.B.); (R.R.S.); (D.K.S.B.); (M.L.C.R.S.); (S.S.d.S.H.); (C.d.S.A.B.S.); (C.J.A.)
| | - Deivyson Kelvis Silva Barros
- Centro de Saúde Tecnologia Rural (CSTR), Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), Av. Universitária, s/n, Santa Cecília, Patos 58708110, PB, Brazil; (N.N.d.C.B.); (R.R.S.); (D.K.S.B.); (M.L.C.R.S.); (S.S.d.S.H.); (C.d.S.A.B.S.); (C.J.A.)
| | - João Pessoa Araújo Júnior
- Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Microbiologia e Imunologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Av. Prof. Mário Rubens Guimarães Montenegro, s/n, Botucatu 18618687, SP, Brazil; (J.P.A.J.); (C.D.M.)
| | - Camila Dantas Malossi
- Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Microbiologia e Imunologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Av. Prof. Mário Rubens Guimarães Montenegro, s/n, Botucatu 18618687, SP, Brazil; (J.P.A.J.); (C.D.M.)
| | - Maria Luana Cristiny Rodrigues Silva
- Centro de Saúde Tecnologia Rural (CSTR), Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), Av. Universitária, s/n, Santa Cecília, Patos 58708110, PB, Brazil; (N.N.d.C.B.); (R.R.S.); (D.K.S.B.); (M.L.C.R.S.); (S.S.d.S.H.); (C.d.S.A.B.S.); (C.J.A.)
| | - Arthur Willian de Lima Brasil
- Centro de Ciências Agrárias (CCA), Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB), Rodovia BR 079, Km 02, Areia 58397000, PB, Brazil; (A.W.d.L.B.); (D.F.d.C.)
| | - Diego Figueiredo da Costa
- Centro de Ciências Agrárias (CCA), Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB), Rodovia BR 079, Km 02, Areia 58397000, PB, Brazil; (A.W.d.L.B.); (D.F.d.C.)
| | - Severino Silvano dos Santos Higino
- Centro de Saúde Tecnologia Rural (CSTR), Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), Av. Universitária, s/n, Santa Cecília, Patos 58708110, PB, Brazil; (N.N.d.C.B.); (R.R.S.); (D.K.S.B.); (M.L.C.R.S.); (S.S.d.S.H.); (C.d.S.A.B.S.); (C.J.A.)
| | - Carolina de Sousa Américo Batista Santos
- Centro de Saúde Tecnologia Rural (CSTR), Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), Av. Universitária, s/n, Santa Cecília, Patos 58708110, PB, Brazil; (N.N.d.C.B.); (R.R.S.); (D.K.S.B.); (M.L.C.R.S.); (S.S.d.S.H.); (C.d.S.A.B.S.); (C.J.A.)
| | - Sérgio Santos de Azevedo
- Centro de Saúde Tecnologia Rural (CSTR), Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), Av. Universitária, s/n, Santa Cecília, Patos 58708110, PB, Brazil; (N.N.d.C.B.); (R.R.S.); (D.K.S.B.); (M.L.C.R.S.); (S.S.d.S.H.); (C.d.S.A.B.S.); (C.J.A.)
| | - Clebert José Alves
- Centro de Saúde Tecnologia Rural (CSTR), Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), Av. Universitária, s/n, Santa Cecília, Patos 58708110, PB, Brazil; (N.N.d.C.B.); (R.R.S.); (D.K.S.B.); (M.L.C.R.S.); (S.S.d.S.H.); (C.d.S.A.B.S.); (C.J.A.)
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Aymée L, Mendes J, Lilenbaum W. Bovine Genital Leptospirosis: An Update of This Important Reproductive Disease. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:322. [PMID: 38275782 PMCID: PMC10812666 DOI: 10.3390/ani14020322] [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: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Bovine leptospirosis is an important disease that affects the reproductive sphere. Due to its high relevance for the bovine production chain in a worldwide scenario, a better understanding of the disease is crucial to reduce its negative impacts. The main agents are strains from the Sejroe serogroup, such as Hardjo and Guaricura, which lead to renal and genital infection. The genital colonization causes a chronic, silent, and subclinical reproductive syndrome, called Bovine Genital Leptospirosis (BGL). Embryonic death, estrus repetition, subfertility, and abortions are the main signs of BGL condition in females. However, although leptospires have been identified in semen, the manifestation of BGL in bulls remains to be clarified. The recommended diagnosis of BGL includes a serologic screening of the herds using the microscopic agglutination test followed by PCR of genital samples (cervicovaginal mucus, uterine fragment, or semen), especially from animals with reproductive failures. After the identification of carriers, control is carried out considering three steps: antimicrobial treatment of the carriers, environmental and reproductive management, and herd vaccination. Systematic testing, quarantine of newly arrived animals, and usage of antimicrobials in semen diluents or embryo culture media are other sanitary approaches that are encouraged to improve the control of the syndrome. Herein we discuss protocols for an efficient diagnosis and preventive procedures of BGL, which are fundamental to reducing the negative impact of the disease on cattle reproduction and its consequent economic hazards.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Walter Lilenbaum
- Laboratory of Veterinary Bacteriology, Biomedical Institute, Federal Fluminense University, Alameda Barros Terra Street, 57, Niterói 24020-150, Brazil (J.M.)
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
de Azevedo SS. Epidemiology of Leptospira sp. Infection: Current Status, Insights and Future Prospects. Microorganisms 2023; 12:22. [PMID: 38257849 PMCID: PMC10821098 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12010022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, the scientific community has been faced with an increased risk of emerging or re-emerging zoonotic diseases, such as leptospirosis, mainly originating from anthropic actions [...].
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sérgio Santos de Azevedo
- Academic Unit of Veterinary Medicine, Center for Rural Health and Technology, Federal University of Campina Grande, Patos 58708-110, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|