Leptospira Isolates Research Articles

Immunological and molecular characterization of Leptospira interrogans isolated from a bovine foetus.

Cattle are commonly infected with pathogenic leptospires, and similarly to rodents, they excrete the bacteria in their urine and can transmit the pathogen from animal to animal or animal to human. Thus, surveillance and monitoring systems for detection of new Leptospira serovars are important for the control of leptospirosis. Here, we report the isolation of a spirochete from a stillborn bovine foetus and its characterization by immunological and molecular techniques. A variable number tandem repeat profile using seven discriminatory primers identified the spirochete as belonging to species Leptospira interrogans serogroup Australis serovar Muenchen. A phenotypic analysis using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against leptospiral membrane-associated proteins confirmed the expression of important virulence and pathogenicity factors (LipL32 and LigBrep). Out of 120 reference sera tested, 22 positive (36.66%) and 9 negative (15%) also reacted with the new isolate. Furthermore, the serovar Muenchen isolate was virulent in hamster model. The animal inoculated developed acute lethal infection characterized by hepatic, pulmonary and renal lesions. Local isolates exhibited unique characteristics that differed from those of reference strains; therefore, isolation of leptospires is useful in the surveillance of local pathogenic serovars. In conclusion, the data obtained from this study can contribute to the epidemiological understanding and control of leptospirosis in southern Brazil.

In-house ELISA screening using a locally-isolated Leptospira in Malaysia: determination of its cut-off points.

BackgroundLeptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Leptospira species and is distributed globally. Microscopic agglutination test (MAT) is the serological ‘gold standard’ for diagnosis of leptospirosis but it is time-consuming and labour-intensive. An alternative serological method that is rapid, sensitive and specific is important for early treatment to reduce morbidity and mortality. The use of local Leptospira isolation may improve the sensitivity and specificity of the test because it may varies from one geographical region to another region. The objective of this study was to determine the sensitivity, specificity and cut-off points for an in-house Immunoglobulin M (IgM) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a locally isolated Leptospiral strain IMR/175 as the antigen for the detection of anti-Leptospiral IgM.MethodsSerum samples from 270 patients with clinical symptoms of leptospirosis were subjected to the in-house IgM ELISA, MAT and Leptospirosis rapid test. The optimal cut-off values for positivity and negativity of the IgM ELISA were determined by Receiver Operating Characteristic curves and mean ± 2 standard deviation (SD) analyses of the ELISA values.ResultsThe area under the curve (AUC) which indicates the diagnostic performance of the in-house IgM ELISA was 0.953 (95% Confidence Interval, CI: 0.928, 0.978). The sensitivity and specificity of 90.38% and 87.72% respectively were obtained with the cut-off point of 0.55. A higher sensitivity (96.15%) was obtained when the cut-off point was set at 0.45.ConclusionsThe in-house IgM ELISA assay using local Leptospira isolation was shown to be sensitive and may be suitable to use for the serological diagnosis of leptospirosis for our local hospital setting.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12879-014-0563-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Animal leptospirosis in Latin America and the Caribbean countries: reported outbreaks and literature review (2002-2014).

Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonotic disease whose transmission is linked through multiple factors in the animal-human-ecosystem interface. The data on leptospirosis reported to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) for Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) countries/sovereign territories from 2005–2011 were mapped, showing a wide distribution of outbreaks in the region. Tropical terrestrial biomes are the predominate ecosystems showing reports of outbreaks. Climatic and ecological factors were relevant to the occurrence of epidemic outbreaks. The available scientific information from 2002–2014 was summarized to obtain a general overview and identify key issues related to the One Health approach. The primary serological test used for diagnosis and for conducting surveys was the microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Reports regarding the isolation and typing of leptospires were scattered and limited to data from a few countries, but their results revealed considerable biodiversity at the species and serovar levels. A total of six out of 11 currently named pathogenic species were found in the region. There was also high diversity of animal species showing evidence of infection by leptospires, including rodents, pets, livestock and wild animals. Prevention and control measures for leptospirosis should consider issues of animal and human health in the context of ecosystems, the territorial land borders of countries and trade.

Role of Intraocular Leptospira Infections in the Pathogenesis of Equine Recurrent Uveitis in the Southern United States

Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) has been linked to leptospirosis in Europe; however, regional differences exist in reports from the United States. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of intraocular leptospiral infections in horses with ERU in the Southern United States. Blood and ocular fluid samples were collected from horses with ERU and normal controls. Leptospira serology was performed using microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Aqueous and vitreous humor samples were obtained and submitted for aerobic and Leptospira culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and MAT. Twenty-one control horses (40 eyes) and 31 ERU horses (46 eyes) were available. Serology was available for 48 of 52 horses: 16 of 21 control and 23 of 27 affected horses were positive for at least one serovar; bratislava was the most common serovar identified. Bacillus sp. and Micrococcus sp. were cultured from one control horse's eye; Streptococcus sp. (n = 1) and Leptospira (n = 6) were cultured from the eyes of six ERU horses. Leptospira isolates belonged to serogroup pomona (n = 4) and grippotyphosa (n = 2). Polymerase chain reaction results were positive in 14 of 31 (45%) horses with ERU; no control horses were positive by PCR (P = .0001). Microscopic agglutination test was positive for 17 of 24 ERU horses (71%) and one 21 (4.7%) normal horses (P < .0001). Horses with ERU had a high prevalence of Leptospira infection based on PCR and MAT results from intraocular fluids compared with control horses. The diagnosis of intraocular infections was not aided by serology and required specific invasive sampling of ocular fluid. Leptospira infection should be considered as a cause of ERU in the Southern United States.

Viability of Leptospira isolates from a human outbreak in Thailand in various water types, pH, and temperature conditions.

Leptospira spp. isolated from patients during a multiyear outbreak in Thailand were genotyped using multilocus sequence typing and a majority were identified as ST34, especially in earlier years. We tested whether ST34 isolates were better adapted to survive in various pH levels, temperatures, and water sources. Motility and growth were monitored over a 12-week period. Early year ST34 isolates did not appear to have a significant fitness advantage over non-ST34, however, this may have been because a majority of the isolates survived to the termination of the study, with the exception being at high temperature (37°C) and/or basic pH (8.65). Failure to detect a significant fitness advantage of ST34 may be a result of the length of the study or the small sample size. Lengthening the study and looking at virulence and maintenance in the host could yield additional information about this outbreak.

NMR solution structure of the terminal immunoglobulin-like domain from the leptospira host-interacting outer membrane protein, LigB.

A number of surface proteins specific to pathogenic strains of Leptospira have been identified. The Lig protein family has shown promise as a marker in typing leptospiral isolates for pathogenesis and as an antigen in vaccines. We used NMR spectroscopy to solve the solution structure of the twelfth immunoglobulin-like (Ig-like) repeat domain from LigB (LigB-12). The fold is similar to that of other bacterial Ig-like domains and comprised mainly of β-strands that form a β-sandwich based on a Greek-key folding arrangement. Based on sequence analysis and conservation of structurally important residues, homology models for the other LigB Ig-like domains were generated. The set of LigB models illustrates the electrostatic differences between the domains as well as the possible interactions between neighboring domains. Understanding the structure of the extracellular portion of LigB and related proteins is important for developing diagnostic methods and new therapeutics directed toward leptospirosis.

Leptospira-rat-human relationship in Luzon, Philippines

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic infection that is caused by the pathogenic species of Leptospira. Rats are the most important reservoirs of these organisms. Our study aimed to characterize Leptospira isolates from humans and rats and elucidate the Leptospira-rat-human relationship in Luzon, Philippines. Forty strains were isolated from humans and rats. The isolates were confirmed to be Leptospira and pathogenic through rrl- and flaB-PCR, respectively. Around 73% of the isolates were found to be lethal to hamsters. Serotyping showed that there were mainly three predominant leptospiral serogroups in the study areas namely Pyrogenes, Bataviae, and Grippotyphosa. Gyrase B gene sequence analysis showed that all the isolates belonged to Leptospira interrogans. Most had 100% similarity with serovar Manilae (15/40), serovar Losbanos (8/40), and serogroup Grippotyphosa (8/40). Strains from each group had highly identical pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns and were further grouped as A (Pyrogenes, 14), B (Bataviae, 8), and C (Grippotyphosa, 10). Results further revealed that similar serotypes were isolated from both humans and rats in the same areas. It is suggested that these three predominant groups with highly similar intra-group PFGE patterns may have been primarily transmitted by rats and persistently caused leptospirosis in humans particularly in the Luzon islands.

Isolation and serological evidences in suspected leptospirosis cases in and around Chennai

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic infection, which occurs mostly in persons venturing in aquatic environment, like farmers and sanitary workers. The objectives of the study were to isolate leptospires and to screen for leptospiral antibodies by MAT and IgM and IgG plate ELISAs to ascertain leptospirosis among suspected leptospirosis cases in and around Chennai. 198 cases of suspected leptospirosis cases attending government and private hospitals in Chennai, were included for this study. Blood samples collected in triplicate at an interval of 7 days from each case, were subjected to culture and leptospiral antibody detection by MAT and IgM and IgG plate ELISAs. The corresponding urine samples were screened for culture only. Out of the 198 cases, 118 (59.5%) were positive by MAT and 124 (62.6%) were positive by IgM and IgG plate ELISAs. Only two isolates of leptospira were possible, that too in urine only. One of the isolates belonged to serogroup Canicola and the other to Autumnalis. To conclude, leptospirosis is endemic in and around Chennai and so proper identification, diagnosis and treatment, apart from prophylactic measures are required.

Epidemiology of leptospira transmitted by rodents in southeast Asia.

BackgroundLeptospirosis is the most common bacterial zoonoses and has been identified as an important emerging global public health problem in Southeast Asia. Rodents are important reservoirs for human leptospirosis, but epidemiological data is lacking.Methodology/Principal FindingsWe sampled rodents living in different habitats from seven localities distributed across Southeast Asia (Thailand, Lao PDR and Cambodia), between 2009 to 2010. Human isolates were also obtained from localities close to where rodents were sampled. The prevalence of Leptospira infection was assessed by real-time PCR using DNA extracted from rodent kidneys, targeting the lipL32 gene. Sequencing rrs and secY genes, and Multi Locus Variable-number Tandem Repeat (VNTR) analyses were performed on DNA extracted from rat kidneys for Leptospira isolates molecular typing. Four species were detected in rodents, L. borgpetersenii (56% of positive samples), L. interrogans (36%), L. kirschneri (3%) and L. weilli (2%), which were identical to human isolates. Mean prevalence in rodents was approximately 7%, and largely varied across localities and habitats, but not between rodent species. The two most abundant Leptospira species displayed different habitat requirements: L. interrogans was linked to humid habitats (rice fields and forests) while L. borgpetersenii was abundant in both humid and dry habitats (non-floodable lands).Conclusion/Significance L. interrogans and L. borgpetersenii species are widely distributed amongst rodent populations, and strain typing confirmed rodents as reservoirs for human leptospirosis. Differences in habitat requirements for L. interrogans and L. borgpetersenii supported differential transmission modes. In Southeast Asia, human infection risk is not only restricted to activities taking place in wetlands and rice fields as is commonly accepted, but should also include tasks such as forestry work, as well as the hunting and preparation of rodents for consumption, which deserve more attention in future epidemiological studies.

Isolation of Leptospira from a phocid: acute renal failure and mortality from Leptospirosis in rehabilitated northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris), California, USA.

During rehabilitation, acute renal failure due to leptospirosis occurred in eight male northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) that stranded along the central California coast in 2011. Characteristic histologic lesions including renal tubular degeneration, necrosis, and mineralization, and mild lymphoplasmacytic interstitial nephritis were noted in the six animals examined. Immunohistochemistry, bacterial culture, and PCR were positive in 2/3, 2/3, and 3/4 seals, respectively, and 6/8 had high serum antibody titers to Leptospira interrogans serovar pomona. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis confirmed one isolate as serovar pomona. Variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) analysis showed both elephant seal isolates were identical to each other but distinct from those isolated from California sea lions (Zalophus californianus). The time from stranding to onset of azotemia was 1 to 38 (median=24) days, suggesting some seals were infected at the rehabilitation facility. Based on temporal and spatial incidence of infection, transmission among elephant seals likely occurred during rehabilitation. Molecular (VNTR) analysis of the two isolates indicates there is a unique L. interrogans serovar pomona genotype in elephant seals, and sea lions were not the source of infection prior to or during rehabilitation. This study confirms the susceptibility of northern elephant seals to leptospirosis, indicates intraspecies transmission during rehabilitation, and reports the first isolation and preliminary characterization of leptospires from elephant seals.

Interpretation of microscopic agglutination test for leptospirosis diagnosis and seroprevalence

Determination of antibody titer by microscopic agglutination test (MAT) has been used as a tool for leptospirosis diagnosis. Four fold or greater rise in antibody titers between acute and convalescent sera suggests recent Leptospira infection. In addition, results obtained by MAT have been used to predict infecting serovars. However, cross reactivity among various Leptospira serovars have been reported when patient sera were tested with a battery of Leptospira serovars. This study demonstrates cross- reactivity among several Leptospira serovars when MAT was performed on leptospirosis sera. The data support a role of MAT as a tool for diagnosis. However, for information on infecting serovars, Leptospira isolation and molecular identification should be performed.

PREVALENCE OF LEPTOSPIROSIS IN EGYPTIAN SHEEP FLOCK

A sheep flock contains 600 head of Al-Barky ewes suffered from: Icterus, bloody urine, death two days post symptoms appearance and abortion in 6 pregnant ewes. Thesymptoms appeared on 46 case and 6 ewes aborted and mortality rate was44 case dead. The results of examined samples showed that the isolation of leptospira from 5 out of 52 (9.62 %) animals samples (blood, urine and necropsy kidney tissue samples), the isolates were 2 from blood samples (6.7 %), 2 from kidney samples (6.7 %) and 1 from urine samples (10 %). The obtained leptospira isolates from infected ewes were examined by PCR for identification of leptospires, using universal primers set (lig1 / lig2,) that amplify the genomic DNA of all pathogenic Leptospiraserovar only, the most predominant seropositivity using MAT was detected against L.int.icterohaemorrhagiae (57.69%), followed by L.int.grippotyphosa (28.85%) and L.int.pomona (13.46%). The highest titer of seropositivity was detected against serovarL.int.icterohaemorrhagiae (1:1600) while L.int.grippotyphosa and L.int.pomona reached up to (1:400).

High virulence in hamsters of four dominant Leptospira serovars isolated from rats in the Philippines

Leptospirosis is caused by pathogenic species of Leptospira. The aim of this study was to determine and characterize the pathogenicity of four dominant Leptospira isolates prevailing among rats in the Philippines. The isolates were Leptospira interrogans serovar Manilae strain K64, L. interrogans serovar Losbanos strain K37, L. interrogans serovar Ratnapura strain K5 and Leptospira borgpetersenii serovar Javanica strain K6. Pathogenicities were studied using hamsters, which reproduce severe human leptospirosis. The minimum lethal doses were 10(0) ( = 1) leptospires for K64, K37 and K5, and 10(1) leptospires for K6. Weight loss amongst the Leptospira-infected hamsters was observed from 1 day before death (K64-, K37- and K5-infected hamsters) to as much as 1 week before death for K6-infected hamsters. Similar and varied gross and microscopic lesions were observed amongst infected hamsters, even for strains belonging to the same species (i.e. L. interrogans). The most significant and common histopathological findings were congestion of the glomerulus, disarrangement of hepatic cords and erythrophagocytosis. Other findings were foamy splenic macrophages for K6, severe petechial pulmonary haemorrhage for K64, and hematuria and severe pulmonary congestion for K37. Immunostaining and culture revealed the presence of leptospires in different organs of the infected hamsters. Based on these results, Leptospira isolates from rats in the Philippines were shown to be highly virulent, causing pulmonary haemorrhage, severe hepato-renal damage and death in hamsters even at lower doses. The present findings on experimental leptospirosis support clinical data showing that patients with severe manifestations of leptospirosis, such as pulmonary haemorrhage, are increasing in the Philippines. These findings may serve as a basis to strengthen the early diagnosis and treatment of human leptospirosis.

Isolation of Leptospires from genital tract of sheep

Leptospirosis is an economically important infectious disease of domestic livestock. Renal infection is the most common microbiological sequel to infection in most animal species, but in the case of host-maintained...

Molecular characterization, serotyping, and antibiotic susceptibility profile of Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni isolates from Brazil

Leptospira interrogans serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae is the major serogroup infecting humans worldwide, and rodents and dogs are the most significant transmission sources in urban environments. Knowledge of the prevalent serovars and their maintenance hosts is essential to understand the epidemiology of leptospirosis. In this study, 20 Leptospira isolates were evaluated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), variable number tandem-repeat analysis (VNTR), serotyping, and determination of antimicrobial resistance profile. Isolates, originated from bovine, canine, human, and rodent sources, were characterized by microscopic agglutination test with polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies and were identified as L. interrogans serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae serovar Copenhageni. MICs of antimicrobials often used in veterinary medicine were determined by broth microdilution test. Most of tested antibiotics were effective against isolates, including penicillin, ampicillin, and ceftiofur. Higher MIC variability was observed for fluoroquinolones and neomycin; all isolates were resistant to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and sulphadimethoxine. Isolates were genotyped by PFGE and VNTR; both techniques were unable to discriminate between serovars Copenhageni and Icterohaemorrhagiae, as expected. PFGE clustered all isolates in 1 pulsotype, indicating that these serovars can be transmitted between species and that bovine, rodent, and dogs can maintain them in the environment endangering the human population.

Characterization of leptospira isolates from animals and humans: phylogenetic analysis identifies the prevalence of intermediate species in India

In this study, 191 culture isolates were recovered from suspected samples of animals and humans in Ellinghausen McCullough Johnson and Harris (EMJH) medium and assessed for its morphological features by dark field microscopy. Extracted DNA from individual culture was subjected to different PCR assays for identification and characterization of leptospira. Out of 99 positive leptospira cultures, 52 pathogenic leptospira isolates were characterized at species level by using partial RNA polymerase β-subunit (rpoB) gene sequences. Phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide sequences revealed that 30, 8, and 14 isolates belong to L. borgpetersenii / L. interrogans, L. kirschneri, and Leptospira intermediate species, respectively. Based on analysis of 99 leptospira isolates, the prevalent Leptospira species were L. borgpetersenii or L. interrogans (30.30%), L. kirschneri (8%) and Leptospira intermediate species (14.14%) in animals and humans. To the best of authors knowledge, this is the first study to use rpoB gene nucleotide sequence based phylogenetic analysis to identify/detect Leptospira intermediate species (L. wolffii) in animals and humans in India. Hence, the prevalence of this species will surely emphasize the importance of consideration of Leptospira intermediate species and formulate a way for further studies especially in understanding the newly emerging Leptospira in animals and humans and to combat the problem associated with the disease conditions.

New serovars of Leptospira isolated from patients in Costa Rica: implications for public health

Leptospira strains JICH 05 and INCIENSA 04 were isolated from hospitalized leptospirosis patients in the province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica. The isolates produced agglutination titres notably against members of serogroups Pyrogenes and Tarassovi, respectively, but appeared serologically unique in the cross agglutinin absorption test (CAAT). Therefore, JICH 05 and INCIENSA 04 were considered to represent two new serovars, designated Corredores and Costa Rica of the serogroups Pyrogenes and Tarassovi, respectively. Multilocus sequence genotyping revealed that both strain INCIENSA 04 and strain JICH 05 belong to Leptospira santarosai. These two new serovars are in addition to various other recently identified highly virulent serovars, including the new L. santarosai, serovar Arenal. Considering the fact that isolation and typing of leptospires from patients has only recently been introduced in Costa Rica, these findings suggest that various known and unknown virulent serovars of Leptospira are circulating in this country and probably beyond, thus posing a severe threat to public and probably veterinary health in the region.

Duration of immunity of a multivalent (DHPPi/L4R) canine vaccine against four Leptospira serovars

Despite effective vaccines against common Leptospira serovars, the development of new products with long duration of immunity is still important to protect dogs against leptospirosis.The results from four challenge studies performed one year after vaccination of dogs with a multivalent vaccine containing four Leptospira antigens are reported. Six week old dogs received two vaccinations, three weeks apart, and were challenged 367 days later. Clinical observations were recorded, while blood (culture, biochemistry and haematology), urine (culture) and liver and kidney (culture) samples were collected throughout the study or at necropsy.All control dogs remained seronegative until challenge, when they seroconverted. Antibody titres to Leptospira antigens were seen in vaccinated dogs 21 days after first vaccination and peaked three to six weeks after the second vaccination. Titres decreased in all studies over the following 12 months, until challenge when anamnestic responses were observed. In all studies control dogs demonstrated various abnormal clinical signs, while no vaccinated dogs were affected; differences between groups were only significant following L. bratislava challenge. Analysis of blood cultures showed all control and five of the 24 vaccinated dogs were Leptospira positive after challenge; all studies showed significant differences between treatment groups in mean number of days with positive cultures. Significant differences between vaccinated and control groups in mean number of days with positive urine cultures were also observed, with all non-vaccinated and one vaccinated dog Leptospira positive. The urine culture positive vaccinated dog also gave positive culture from kidney and liver samples. All except one control dog also showed positive Leptospira isolation from kidney or liver, with significant differences between vaccinated and control groups observed.The results demonstrate that administration of a new vaccine to six week old puppies induces immunity which is still effective up to one year later as demonstrated by challenge.

Laboratory diagnosis of leptospirosis: A challenge

Leptospirosis is caused by pathogenic bacteria called leptospires that are transmitted directly or indirectly from animals to humans. It occurs worldwide but is most common in tropical and subtropical areas. It is a potentially serious but treatable disease. Its symptoms may mimic those of a number of other unrelated infections such as influenza, meningitis, hepatitis, dengue, or other viral hemorrhagic fevers. The spectrum of the disease is extremely wide, ranging from subclinical infection to a severe syndrome of multiorgan infection with high mortality. Laboratory diagnosis tests are not always available, especially in developing countries. Numerous tests have been developed, but availability of appropriate laboratory support is still a problem. Direct observation of leptospires by darkfield microscopy is unreliable and not recommended. Isolation of leptospires can take up to months and does not contribute to early diagnosis. Diagnosis is usually performed by serology; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the microscopic agglutination tests are the laboratory methods generally used, rapid tests are also available. Limitation of serology is that antibodies are lacking at the acute phase of the disease. In recent years, several real-time polymerase chain reaction assays have been described. These can confirm the diagnosis in the early phase of the disease prior to antibody titers are at detectable levels, but molecular testing is not available in restricted resources areas.

Serovar Diversity of Pathogenic Leptospira Circulating in the French West Indies

BackgroundLeptospirosis is one of the most important neglected tropical bacterial diseases in Latin America and the Caribbean. However, very little is known about the circulating etiological agents of leptospirosis in this region. In this study, we describe the serological and molecular features of leptospires isolated from 104 leptospirosis patients in Guadeloupe (n = 85) and Martinique (n = 19) and six rats captured in Guadeloupe, between 2004 and 2012.Methods and FindingsStrains were studied by serogrouping, PFGE, MLVA, and sequencing 16SrRNA and secY. DNA extracts from blood samples collected from 36 patients in Martinique were also used for molecular typing of leptospires via PCR. Phylogenetic analyses revealed thirteen different genotypes clustered into five main clades that corresponded to the species: L. interrogans, L. kirschneri, L. borgpetersenii, L. noguchi, and L. santarosai. We also identified L. kmetyi in at least two patients with acute leptospirosis. This is the first time, to our knowledge, that this species has been identified in humans. The most prevalent genotypes were associated with L. interrogans serovars Icterohaemorrhagiae and Copenhageni, L. kirschneri serovar Bogvere, and L. borgpetersenii serovar Arborea. We were unable to identify nine strains at the serovar level and comparison of genotyping results to the MLST database revealed new secY alleles.ConclusionsThe overall serovar distribution in the French West Indies was unique compared to the neighboring islands. Typing of leptospiral isolates also suggested the existence of previously undescribed serovars.