Abstract
Leptospirosis is a neglected disease of zoonotic importance and rodents have a known role in epidemiology of Leptospira globally. Paucity of information on the prevalence of leptospirosis in wild rats used as games in Zaria, Nigeria informed the study. The study aimed to detect Leptospira interrogans in wild rats in Zaria, Nigeria. A total of 71 wild rats comprising 57 Rattus norvegicus and 14 Cricetomys gambianus were sampled over a period of 3 months (April–June 2019). Fisher exact test was used with confidence interval set at 0.05 to ascertain associations between positive cases and species. Blood was collected from 56 rats and harvested sera screened for Leptospira interrogans antibody using rat IgG competitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (c-ELISA). Following humane euthanasia of rats, 71 samples (62 kidney tissues and 9 urine samples) were collected in sterile labeled tubes and cultured using Ellinghausen Mc-cullough Johnson Harris (EMJH) enrichment and basal medium. Results indicated over all Leptospira spp antibody detection of 73.2 % (41/56) in Rattus norvegicus (60.7 %) and Cricetomys gambianus (12.5 %). No significant difference (P > 0.05) existed for the prevalence of Leptospira interrogans antibody in the species of wild rats. Over all occurrence of Leptospira interrogans were 74.2 % (46/62) in kidneys and 55.6 % (5/9) in urine samples. Based on species of rats, Rattus norvegicus recorded prevalence of 76.9 % (40/52) and 40.0 % (2/5) in kidney and urine samples respectively. Prevalence of 60.0 % (6/10) and 75.0 % (3/4) in kidney and urine samples respectively were recorded for Cricetomys gambianus. There was significant difference (P < 0.05) in the prevalence of Leptospira interrogans in kidney samples of both wild rats. These species of rats could be reservoirs of Leptospira interrogans. The result showed high prevalence of Leptospira spp in the wild rats and the possibility of domestic animals and humans contracting the disease. This study is the first documentation of evidence of pathogenic Leptospira species in wildlife used as games in Zaria, Nigeria.
Highlights
Leptospirosis is a disease of animals and humans caused by all pathogenic spirochete of the genus Leptospira and family Leptospiraceae (Bharti et al, 2003; Adler and de la Pen~a Moctezuma, 2010; Boey et al, 2019)
Wild rats (Cricetomys gambianus and Rattus norvegicus) found around farms, feed mills, grain markets and houses in Zaria, Nigeria were used for the study
Prevalence values of 60.0 % (6/ 10) and 75.0 % (3/4) in kidney and urine samples respectively were recorded for Cricetomys gambianus (Table 1)
Summary
Leptospirosis is a disease of animals and humans caused by all pathogenic spirochete of the genus Leptospira and family Leptospiraceae (Bharti et al, 2003; Adler and de la Pen~a Moctezuma, 2010; Boey et al, 2019). Wild rats have been increasingly recognised as the carrier host and environmental agent of spread of different pathogenic leptospires (Chin 2000; Cirone et al, 1978; Cox et al, 2005; Hamir et al, 2001). In Nigeria, leptospirosis has been demonstrated serologically in wild rats (Diallo and Dennis 1982; Ajayi et al, 2017) and humans (Ezeh et al, 1991). Leptospirosis constitutes zoonotic risk, little information on its epidemiology and health risk in developing countries emanates from lack of awareness (Ajayi et al, 2017)
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