Abstract
This study determined the potential risk factors that may contribute to seropositivity among dogs and dog handlers from working dog and dog shelter institutions. Data was collected from dogs (n = 266) and dog handlers (n = 161) using a standardised guided questionnaire. Serum obtained from the dogs and dog handlers was tested using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT). A logistic regression analysis was used to predict leptospiral seropositivity of dogs and dog handlers based on potential risk factors. A total of 22.2% of dogs and 21.7% of dog handlers were seropositive. The significant predictors for the dogs’ seropositivity were presence of rats (OR = 4.61 (95% CI: 1.05, 20.33), p = 0.043) and shared common area (OR = 5.12 (95% CI: 1.94, 13.46), p = 0.001) within the organisation. Significant predictor for dog handler seropositivity was contact time with the dogs of more than six hours/day (OR = 3.28 (95% CI: 1.28, 8.40), p = 0.013) after controlling for the effect of other risk factors such as small mammal contact, rat infestation at home, flooding at housing area (within three months) and urban locality. The exposure to various disease sources identified poses risk to dogs and dog handlers. Risk could be reduced with adequate application of protection at work while handling dogs and thus limiting contact with these sources and reducing exposure to infection.
Highlights
Leptospirosis, is a neglected re-emerging global zoonosis common in the warm and humid tropics and subtropics [1]
The working dog organisations had various breeds, which consist of German Shepherd Dog (GSD) (n = 18/73), Malinois (n = 10/73), English Springer Spaniel (n = 2/73), Cocker Spaniel (n = 9/73) and Labrador Retriever (n = 36/73)
History of rat contact/exposure and shared common area within the organisation may contributed to seropositivity among dogs, while prolonged contact time of >6 hours/day with dogs was the significant contributed risk factors for the dog handlers
Summary
Leptospirosis, is a neglected re-emerging global zoonosis common in the warm and humid tropics and subtropics [1]. Reported cases span from South America and the Caribbean to Southeast Asia and Oceania [2]. 58,900 people were estimated to succumb annually from 1.03 million reported cases [3]. In Malaysia, an upward trend has been observed, from 263 cases reported in 2004 to 5370 cases in 2015 with a sudden spike in 2014 with 7806 cases [4], which resulted from heavy rainfall and massive flooding during the rainy season. The annual human mortality rate fluctuated [5]. Res. Public Health 2019, 16, 1499; doi:10.3390/ijerph16091499 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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