Abstract
Leptospirosis is an important occupational disease in New Zealand. The objectives of this study were to determine risk factors for sero-prevalence of leptospiral antibodies in abattoir workers. Sera were collected from 567 abattoir workers and tested by microscopic agglutination for Leptospira interrogans sv. Pomona and Leptospira borgpetersenii sv. Hardjobovis. Association between prevalence and risk factors were determined by species specific multivariable analysis. Eleven percent of workers had antibodies against Hardjobovis or/and Pomona. Workers from the four sheep abattoirs had an average sero-prevalence of 10%–31%, from the two deer abattoirs 17%–19% and the two beef abattoirs 5%. The strongest risk factor for sero-positivity in sheep and deer abattoirs was work position. In sheep abattoirs, prevalence was highest at stunning and hide removal, followed by removal of the bladder and kidneys. Wearing personal protective equipment such as gloves and facemasks did not appear to protect against infection. Home slaughtering, farming or hunting were not significantly associated with sero-prevalence. There is substantial risk of exposure to leptospires in sheep and deer abattoirs in New Zealand and a persisting, but lower risk, in beef abattoirs. Interventions, such as animal vaccination, appear necessary to control leptospirosis as an occupational disease in New Zealand.
Highlights
Leptospirosis is widespread in livestock in New Zealand (NZ)
Mainly subtropical countries, numerous animal hosts and Leptospira serovars survive in a complex ecological environment, the epidemiology of leptospirosis in NZ is based on just six endemic serovars
Studies revealed that 62% of farmed deer [5] and 5.7% lambs sampled in abattoirs were sero-positive against Hardjobovis and/or Pomona [6]
Summary
Leptospirosis is widespread in livestock in New Zealand (NZ). While in many, mainly subtropical countries, numerous animal hosts and Leptospira serovars survive in a complex ecological environment, the epidemiology of leptospirosis in NZ is based on just six endemic serovars. The two most frequent serovars in cattle, deer and sheep in NZ are Leptospira borgpetersenii sv. Sixty percent of NZ deer herds, 92% of beef cattle herds, and 91% of sheep flocks had serological evidence of exposure to these serovars [3]. Studies revealed that 62% of farmed deer [5] and 5.7% lambs sampled in abattoirs were sero-positive against Hardjobovis and/or Pomona [6]. Based on serology and culture, an abattoir worker was exposed to 5–9 deer or 5–26 lamb carcasses shedding Leptospira per day, presenting many opportunities for human infection [7]. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of Leptospira in abattoir workers processing sheep, beef cattle or deer, to identify risk factors for sero-positivity related to occupational and non-occupational activities and to identify risk factors for probable leptospirosis and/or “flu-like-illness”
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