Abstract
Various prevalence studies on Leptospira in animals and humans, as well as environmental samples, had been conducted worldwide, including Malaysia. However, limited studies have been documented on the presence of pathogenic, intermediate, and saprophytic Leptospira in selected animals and environments. This study was therefore conducted to detect Leptospira spp. in rats, soil, and water from urban areas of Sarawak using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. A total of 107 rats, 292 soil samples, and 324 water samples were collected from April 2014 to February 2015. Pathogenic Leptospira was present in 5.6% (6/107) of rats, 11.6% (34/292) of soil samples, and 1.9% (6/324) of water samples. Intermediate Leptospira was present in 2.7% (8/292) of soil samples and 1.9% (6/324) of water samples. Saprophytic Leptospira was present in 10.3% (11/107) of rats, 1.4% (4/292) of soil samples, and 0.3% (1/324) of water samples. From this study, 76 Leptospira spp. were isolated. Based on DNA sequencing, the dominant Leptospira spp. circulating in urban areas of Sarawak are pathogenic Leptospira noguchii, intermediate Leptospira wolffii serovar Khorat, and saprophytic Leptospira meyeri, respectively. Overall, this study provided important surveillance data on the prevalence of Leptospira spp. from rats and the environment, with dominant local serovars in urban areas of Sarawak.
Highlights
Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease with worldwide distribution and caused by pathogenic Leptospira, which results in significant public health problem worldwide [1, 2]
Hamsters inoculated with intermediate L. inadai and L. licerasiae do not cause any clinical manifestation of leptospirosis both recovered from patients [4]
Pathogenic Leptospira was present in six Rattus rattus, thirty-four soil samples, and six water samples
Summary
Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease with worldwide distribution and caused by pathogenic Leptospira, which results in significant public health problem worldwide [1, 2]. The pathogenicity status of intermediate Leptospira remains a debate matter. Hamsters inoculated with intermediate L. inadai and L. licerasiae do not cause any clinical manifestation of leptospirosis both recovered from patients [4]. Maintenance hosts are asymptomatic while accidental hosts like humans may suffer a wide range of clinical manifestation such as renal failure, hepatic failure, severe pulmonary haemorrhage, and even death [8]. The overall case mortality rate in humans ranges from 1 to 5% and the elderly are claimed to have higher infection risk of leptospirosis [9]. Incidence rates are often underestimated because of the relative inaccessibility, lack of rapid diagnostics, and insufficient awareness of leptospirosis [10]
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