Abstract
Objectives: To determine the prevalence of leptospirosis and its risk factors in persons presenting with fever in mining areas (gold search at the riverbanks), and the prevalence of infection in dogs in Manu province, Madre de Dios department, Peru. Material and methods: Analytic cross-sectional study. 71 blood samples were taken from persons presenting with fever who came from five mining areas. The presence of IgM and IgG antibodies against Leptospira were determined using an ELISA method and a micro-agglutination test (MAT). Results: 71 persons were assessed, 47 (66,2%) were female and 24 (33,8%) were male; 26 (36,6%) had antibodies against Leptospira. The risk factors associated to Leptospira infection in these persons were as follows: to use river water in their household (OR= 9,09, p= 0,017), to use river water in the field (OR= 7,13, p= 0,042), to swim in the river (OR= 4,60, p= 0,13), to live in a house with a plastic and straw roof (OR= 4,04, p= 0,013). In dogs, 18 (66,6%) had a positive serology for Leptospira. Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of leptospirosis in persons presenting with fever and favorable conditions for the development of this infection in the studied areas. It is recommended that preventive educational activities should be performed, taking into account the risk factors identified.
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