Abstract
Bovine leptospirosis is an infectious zoonotic disease causing reproductive problems and economic losses in livestock. This work reports, for the first time in Sicily (South Italy), an outbreak of Leptospira interrogans serogroup Pomona that occurred in cattle farms within the Nebrodi Park and was mainly characterized by full-term abortion. Blood and urine samples were collected at different time points from animals of six different farms (Farms A–F) sharing the same grazing area. Research of antibodies against pathogenic Leptospira species in serum samples was carried out via Micro Agglutination Test (MAT). Urine samples were subjected to pathogen isolation and molecular analyses via TaqMan Real Time-PCR. Genotyping of Leptospira species was obtained by Multi-locus sequence typing. MAT detected antibodies against Leptospira interrogans serogroup Pomona in serum samples of all the farms. Pathogenic Leptospira spp. DNA and culture isolation was obtained from urine samples. Genotyping confirmed the excretion of L. interrogans serogroup Pomona. This study describes clinical manifestations, diagnostic implications and epidemiological characteristics of an outbreak in cattle due to L. interrogans Pomona in a protected multi-host area, where domestic and wild animals share the same habitat, suggesting a role of wild species in transmission and persistence of Pomona serogroup among cattle.
Highlights
Leptospirosis is a zoonosis with a worldwide distribution [1,2]
The farm was included in a livestock producfacility consisting of four municipal housing structures shared among different breeders, tion facility consisting of four municipal housing structures shared among different breedlocated at aat distance of 500 m from eacheach other
Six animals showed a positive reaction for IBR specific gB and a negative reaction for IBR specific gE
Summary
Leptospirosis is a zoonosis with a worldwide distribution [1,2]. It is caused by pathogenic helical spirochetes of the Leptospira genus (family Leptospiraceae, order Spirochaetales). The clinical manifestations range from severe conditions to mild febrile symptoms or asymptomatic conditions [8,9]. The pathogen is able to colonize the kidneys and it is released in the urine, which represent the most common contamination route for Leptospira species [10]. The epidemiology of leptospirosis is related to the presence of susceptible hosts, both maintenance and incidental [11]. Maintenance hosts generally do not develop clinic forms of the disease, but act as natural pathogen sources, highly influencing Leptospira spp
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