High prevalence of Leptospirosis among stray dogs of Bojnurd county, Northeast of Iran

Abstract

Background: Leptospirosis is reemerging and neglected zoonotic disease. Leptospires are the cause of disease with a global distribution, mainly in humid, tropical and sub-tropical regions. A wide variety of animals host the Leptospira serovars. Rodents can act as an important source of infection for humans and animals. Dogs infected with Leptospira illustrate a variety of clinical signs. This study was conducted to investigate the existence of Leptospira serovars among stray dogs of North Khorasan Province of Iran. Methods & Materials: The study was conducted in Bojnurd county (37.47 N and 57.33 E), North Khorasan province, Northeast of Iran. Blood samples were collected from 48 asymptomatic dogs. The infecting serovars identification and the antibody titers measurement were done by using standard microscopic agglutination test (MAT) on serum samples when a serial dilutions of 1/100 to 1/1600 was performed. Results: Antibody against four serovars of Leptospira was detected in dogs of North Khorasan province for the first time. The study results revealed 34 samples (71%) with positive reaction against one or more serovars. Among the seropositive samples, reaction against L. i. Grippotyphosa, L. i. Icterohaemorrhagiae, L. i. Canicola and L. i. Hardjo was detected. The results revealed that the most prevalent leptospira serovar was L. i. Grippotyphosa when in two samples the highest titer of 1/1600 spotted. Conclusion: The study result, for the first time, showed a high prevalence of Leptospirosis among the stray dogs in North Khorasan Province. This highlights the role of stray dog as potential source of infection which could distribute the disease among wild and domestic animals along with human populations in the study region.