Abstract
This study investigated seroepidemiology of Leptospira serovars among the dog keepers and their dogs in the city of Mwanza, Tanzania. A total of 205 dog keepers and 414 dogs were tested for Leptospira antibodies using a microscopic agglutination test (MAT). The median age of the dog keepers was 26 (inter quartile range (IQR): 17–40) years and median duration of keeping dogs was 36 (IQR: 24–120) months. The seropositivity of Leptospira antibodies was (33/205 (16.1%, 95% CI: 11.0–21.1) among dog keepers and (66/414 (15.9%, 95% CI: 12.4–19.4) among dogs, p = 0.4745. Among the serovars tested (Sokoine, Grippotyphosa, Kenya, Pomona and Hebdomadis), the most prevalent serovar was Sokoine in both dog keepers and their dogs (93.9% (31/33) vs. and 65.1% (43/66), p = 0.009). Thirty-one out of thirty-three seropositive dog keepers (93.9%) had dogs positive for Leptospira antibodies with 28 (84.9%) having similar serovars with their respective seropositive dogs. Having tertiary education (AOR: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.07–0.84, p = 0.026) independently protected individuals from being Leptospira seropositive. More than three quarters of dog keepers had similar serovars as their dogs, necessitating one health approach to control measures in endemic areas.
Highlights
Leptospirosis is a neglected zoonotic disease of public health importance affecting different populations across the globe [1,2]
The current study presents the seropositivity of Leptospira serovars among dog keepers and their dogs in Mwanza, Tanzania, in an attempt to improve understanding of leptospirosis in high-risk groups
This is the first study to assess the seropositivity of Leptospira spp. antibodies among dog keepers and their respective dogs in the city of Mwanza, Tanzania
Summary
Leptospirosis is a neglected zoonotic disease of public health importance affecting different populations across the globe [1,2]. The disease is caused by different serovars of Leptospira spp. belong to different serogroups. Leptospirosis causes direct economic impact to humans such as loss of productivity due to illness, suffering and increased healthcare costs for both humans and animals; it contributes to poverty in the affected communities. Humans are susceptible to infection with a variety of Leptospira serogroups; certain serogroups show some degree of host specificity, for instance: serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae mostly infect rats and humans, serogroup Sejroe (serovar Hardjo) commonly infects cattle, serogroup Canicola commonly infects dogs and serogroup Pomona mostly infects pigs [4]. Leptospirosis occurs mostly in rural areas due to inadequate sanitation and poor housing. These factors have been found to increase the risk of exposure to animal reservoirs, especially rodents [4,5]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
