Seroepidemiological study of leptospirosis in horses with reproductive disorders

Abstract

Leptospirosis is an anthropozoonosis caused by different species of bacteria of the genus Leptospira spp., resulting in economic losses in equine husbandry, including abortion, birth of weak and premature animals. In this context, the present study aimed to conduct a seroepidemiological study by identifying antibodies to Leptospira spp. in horses with a history of reproductive disorders. For this purpose, 108 horses from two studs in the Triângulo Mineiro region, designated A and B (A: n=68 and B: n=40), were subjected to the Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT). Questionnaires were administered to the stud owners to analyze risk factors. Of the 108 samples analyzed, 50.9% (55/108) were reactive to MAT, with the most prevalent serovars being Djasiman 65.5% (36/55) and Hebdomadis 34.5% (19/55) with titers of 800 and 1600, respectively. Positivity was significantly higher (p<0.05) in females over 48 months of age in both studs A and B. In this context, it can be concluded that veterinarians should request leptospirosis laboratory tests in horses that present reproductive disorders, and sanitary measures should be recommended aiming to minimize economic losses as well as to avoid the potential zoonotic risk of the disease.