Leptospira Infection in Animals in the Caribbean and Central America

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to describe the features of animal leptospirosis and to summarize the relevant literature available on Leptospira infection in animals in the Caribbean and the Central American countries. Although estimates of leptospirosis-related human morbidity and mortality among the Caribbean and Central American countries are high, data from animal studies are scarce. Leptospirosis is a bacterial zoonosis which affects human and animal health. This disease has a negative impact on the livelihood of subsistence farmers due to its effects on animal production and reproduction. Given that the Caribbean and Central American geographic and demographic landscapes favor Leptospira endemism through maintenance in reservoir animal hosts and the environment, the scarcity of the data on animal leptospirosis and its impact on animal health and public health in these regions is worrisome. The conditions such as mesoamerican nephropathy are an increasingly recognized human health issue in Central American countries, and infectious agents including Leptospira have been implicated as a risk factor for this condition. To understand Leptospira infection as a cause of chronic renal disease, global and regional efforts to elucidate the pathobiology of animal leptospirosis are anticipated.