Leptospira Autumnalis Research Articles

ESTABLISHMENT OF A HEALTH SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM FOR REINTRODUCTION OF THE EURASIAN BEAVER (CASTOR FIBER) INTO SCOTLAND

In 2009 and 2010 16 Norwegian Eurasian beavers (Castor fiber) were reintroduced to Knapdale, Scotland as part of a 5-yr reintroduction trial (Scottish Beaver Trial). Despite numerous reintroduction programs throughout Europe there is no published information concerning recommended health surveillance during beaver reintroduction and only one publication describing causes of mortality. We describe the establishment of a health surveillance program based on International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and governmental guidelines, and report preliminary results based on the fecal and blood samples following the completion of the first stage of reintroduction. Animals underwent at least one general anesthetic to allow collection of fecal and blood samples and a thorough clinical examination. No bacterial enteric pathogens such as Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., or Yersinia pseudotuberculosis were isolated, nor were Giardia spp. or Cryptosporidium spp. However, numerous helminths including Travassosius rufus and Stichorchis subtriquetrus were detected. Five animals were positive for Leptospira antibodies. This included Leptospira saxkoebing, Leptospira canicola, Leptospira copenhageni, Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae, Leptospira autumnalis, and Leptospira javanica. The highest loss of animals (20%) was during the statutory 6-mo rabies quarantine period. No common cause of death was determined. The rabies quarantine conditions were waived for four remaining animals, three of which were introduced to the wild successfully. The authors recommend the shortest possible quarantine period when introducing beavers, but allowing for the minimum recommended IUCN 35 days to allow for implementation of the initial stage of the health surveillance program, examination of animals, sample collection, and processing.

Occurrence of leptospirosis among suspected cases in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

To evaluate the serological profile of leptospirosis by microscopic agglutination test (MAT) and dark field microscopy (DFM) and to determine the serovar prevalence rate among patients with pyrexia of unknown origin. A total of 3830 blood samples were received from different hospitals and laboratories in and around Chennai. They were screened for leptospirosis by MAT and direct observation of live Leptospira by DFM. A total of 748 (19.5%) Leptospira positive cases were identified; among these, 36.76% were Leptospira australis, 30% were Leptospira canicola, 14.57% were Leptospira autumnalis, 12% were Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae, 4.68% were Leptospira patoc and 1.87% were Leptospira grippotyposa. Patients were in the age group of 1-86 years, with a median age of 43.5 years. 50% positive cases were in the age group of 10-35 years. Majority of the Leptospira infected cases were males (62.98%) than females (37.02%). Leptospirosis occurs in Chennai throughout the year although the number and positivity of cases increased during the monsoon season.

Case Report of an Unexpected Combination of Tropical Microorganisms Causing Severe Illness

A case of a traveler with an unusual combination of severe Leptospira autumnalis and Plesiomonas shigelloides infections is presented. The infections led to a clinical entity including fever, watery diarrhea, and respiratory failure. A thorough medical history and laboratory testing according to the array of most probable pathogens occurring in the visited country are of importance to avoid treatment delay in travelers. Furthermore, the possibility of multiple pathogens should always be considered in travelers.

Travel‐Acquired Leptospirosis: Table 1

International travel is rapidly growing worldwide. It has been estimated that international travels will reach nearly 1 billion by 2010 and 1.6 billion by 2020, with the highest increase concerning tropical and subtropical areas.1 Furthermore, a rapidly increasing number of travelers are engaged in adventure travel.2 Travelers participating in athletic and adventure activities may be exposed to various infectious agents often unfamiliar to physicians in their homeland that may demand immediate attention due to the potential of causing severe morbidity and fatal outcome.3 Leptospirosis is an emerging zoonosis of global importance.4–8 Although transmission may occur in rural and urban areas worldwide, incidence of infection is significantly higher in tropical areas.5,8–12 Leptospirosis has been traditionally considered an occupational hazard among professionals in contact with urine of infected animals.9,13 However, nowadays, cases and outbreaks are increasingly reported among adventure travelers and athletes participating in freshwater sports.10,11,14–20 Due to the fact that leptospirosis is a potentially fatal disease, 7,9,21 information regarding prophylactic measures should be targeted to this group of travelers and leptospirosis should be considered among febrile travelers returning with a compatible epidemiological association. We review the current state of knowledge on travel‐acquired leptospirosis with emphasis on its epidemiology and prevention. Leptospires are highly motile spirochetes of the family Leptospiraceae that are divided into numerous serovars. Pathogenic leptospires comprise the Leptospira interrogans sensu lato complex (more than 200 serovars), whereas saprophytic leptospires comprise the Leptospira biflexa sensu lato complex (more than 60 serovars). Among some of the common pathogenic serovars for humans are Leptospira canicola, Leptospira hardjo, Leptospira hebdomadis, Leptospira autumnalis, and Leptospira weil. Leptospires can survive freely for weeks or months in soil and water.9,21 A wide spectrum of animal species, primarily small mammals, may serve as sources of human infection with leptospires. … Corresponding Author: Helena C. Maltezou, MD, PhD, Department for Interventions in Health‐Care Facilities, Hellenic Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 42 3rd Septemvriou Street, Athens, Greece. E‐mail: helen%E2%80%90maltezou{at}ath.forthnet.gr

Serological evidence of Leptospira interrogans serovar Bratislava infection and its association with abortions in cattle in northern Spain

A cross-sectional study was carried out in the Basque Country of Spain to determine the seroprevalence of 10 Leptospira serovars in a population of dairy cattle with poor fertility, and...

Preliminary study on differentiation of Leptospira grippotyphosa and Leptospira sejroe from other common pathogenic leptospiral serovars in canine urine by polymerase chain reaction assay.

A multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method using primer sets of G1/G2 and B64-I/B64-II was validated to detect pathogenic leptospira serovars from canine urine samples. The PCR method was found to be specific and sensitive with a detection limit of 100 cells of Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae per milliliter of urine. The primer set previously designated and erroneously transcribed B64-I/B64-II amplified a DNA fragment of 352 base pairs from Leptospira grippotyphosa and Leptospira sejroe but not from Leptospira autumnalis, Leptospira bratislava, Leptospira canicola, Leptospira hardjo, Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae, and Leptospira pomona. From 100 diagnostic canine urine samples, 5 were found positive for Leptospira grippotyphosalsejroe with a PCR product of 352 base pairs and 6 were positive for other pathogenic leptospira serovars with a PCR product of 285 base pairs. One 285-base pair product was sequenced and found to be 99.3% homologous to the G1/G2 PCR fragment sequence reported previously. All 352-base pair PCR products of clinical samples and pure cultures of L. grippotyphosa and L. sejroe were sequenced. The 352-base pair fragment sequences of L. grippotyphosa and L sejroe were identical. Only 2 base pairs were found different between the sequences from pure cultures and those from clinical samples. Serum samples from 3 positive cases that generated a PCR product of 352 base pairs were tested by the microscopic agglutination test, and 2 were found to be positive for L. grippotyphosa (1:10,240 and 1:5,120), 1 was positive for L. grippotyphosa (1:320) or L. icterohaemorrhagiae (1:320). The results of this study suggest that the multiplex PCR with the primer set G1/G2 and the erroneously transcribed B64-I/B64-II may be able to differentiate L. grippotyphosa or L. sejroe from other pathogenic leptospira serovars commonly tested for in Canadian diagnostic laboratories.

Leptospira autumnalis isolated from a human case from Avadi, India, and the serovar's predominance in local rat and bandicoot populations.

Leptospira were successfully isolated from the urine of an Indian patient who had been clinically diagnosed as having leptospirosis. In an attempt to determine the source of this infection, 28 rats (Rattus rattus) and 58 bandicoots (Bandicota bengalensis) living in the vicinity of the patient's home in Avadi, a suburban area of the city of Chennai (Madras), India, were then investigated. Each animal was checked for infection by microscopical examination of fresh and stained urine, serological analysis of serum, and the culture of urine and kidney samples. Direct, dark-field, observation of fresh urine samples and examination of urine samples after Fontana's silver staining were found to be the least sensitive of the tests used. The results of the serological microscopic agglutination test (MAT) indicated that four (14.3%) of the rats and nine (16.1%) of the bandicoots had significant agglutinins, predominantly for the serogroups icterohaemorrhagiae and autumnalis. Leptospira were isolated from at least one culture of samples from one rat and each of four bandicoots. Each of these rodent isolates and the human isolate were typed as Leptospira interrogans serovar autumnalis.

Leptospirosis with Acute Acalculous Cholecystitis and Pancreatitis

Severe Leptospira autumnalis infection was associated with acute acalculous cholecystitis and pancreatitis in a 66-year-old man. He was successfully treated with antimicrobial agents and supportive therapy, including hemodialysis. We review these uncommon manifestations and the effectiveness of antimicrobial therapy in advanced leptospirosis.

A Generalized Modified-χ 2 Analysis of Categorical Bacteria Survival Data from a Complex Dilution Experiment

A well-known method of estimation for the density of bacteria in a sample solution is the most probable number (MPN) procedure. This paper considers the change in density through time of bacteria populations which are undergoing extinction. The MPN with its estimated variance for a fixed time point is a basic module of these investigations and is treated as a general implicit function of the cell proportions in linear categorical data analysis. These quantities are then used to fit exponential decay models over time by weighted least squares. When such models are supported by the data, comparisons of decay rates between populations under possibly different experimental conditions can be undertaken. This methodology is illustrated with an example pertaining to the survival experience of Leptospira autumnalis.

Application of the most-probable-number procedure to suspensions of Leptospira autumnalis Akiyami A.

Various statistical tests are presented as evidence that the most-probable-number (MPN) procedure is a reliable method for estimating the density of washed-cell suspensions of Leptospira autumnalis Akiyami A.

Survivor curves for Leptospira autumnalis Akiyami A based on most-probable-number values.

The validity of survivor curves for Leptospira autumnalis Akiyami A based on most-probable-number values is supported by the following observations: (i) linear regression lines fell within most of the 95% confidence intervals; (ii) linear correlation coefficients (r) were consistently high (i.e., near -1); and (iii) statistical tests for goodness of fit usually accepted the linear model. These tests are consistent with an exponential death rate for the test organism in defined solutions. The influence of temperature and pH on survival was demonstrated by showing a statistically significant difference in survivor curve slopes.

Application of the Most-Probable-Number Procedure to Suspensions of Leptospira autumnalis Akiyami A

Various statistical tests are presented as evidence that the most-probable-number (MPN) procedure is a reliable method for estimating the density of washed-cell suspensions of Leptospira autumnalis Akiyami A.

Survivor Curves for Leptospira autumnalis Akiyami A Based on Most-Probable-Number Values

The validity of survivor curves for Leptospira autumnalis Akiyami A based on most-probable-number values is supported by the following observations: (i) linear regression lines fell within most of the 95% confidence intervals; (ii) linear correlation coefficients (r) were consistently high (i.e., near -1); and (iii) statistical tests for goodness of fit usually accepted the linear model. These tests are consistent with an exponential death rate for the test organism in defined solutions. The influence of temperature and pH on survival was demonstrated by showing a statistically significant difference in survivor curve slopes.

Leptospirosis in Bovines and Their Human Contacts in Egypt (U.A.R.)

Summary A total of 1,314 serum samples comprised of 368 individuals occupationally associated with bovines, 558 buffaloes, and 388 cattle were examined serologically against 12 leptospiral serotypes by an agglutination-lysis test. Antibodies against serotypes were detected in 38 samples. three individuals had antibodies against Leptospira autumnalis, L. grippotyphosa, and L. malaya, respectively. Among 27 buffaloes reactors were found against L. autumnalis, L. bataviae, L. canicola, L. icterohemorrhagiae A and L. icterohemorrhagiae AB. Eight cows had antibodies against L. bataviae, L. canicola, L. icterohemorrhagiae A, L. icterohemorrhagiae AB, or L. malaya.

Benign aseptic meningitis due to Leptospira grippotyphosa; second report of clinical infection in the United States.

THE SEVERAL pathogenic leptospira produce in man a group of closely related diseases. These infections have received considerable attention in Europe for many years. In the United States, leptospirosis has been identified almost exclusively with that due to Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae (leptospiral jaundice, Weil's disease). It is becoming more obvious that other leptospiral disease is present. Several dozen cases of infection with Leptospira canicola (canicola fever), 1 several instances of infection with Leptospira pomona (swineherd's disease), 2 and an outbreak of disease attributed to Leptospira autumnalis (pretibial fever, Fort Bragg fever, autumnal fever) 3 have been noted in this country. In November, 1952, Spain and Howard 4 reported the first case of leptospirosis due to Leptospira grippotyphosa (mud fever) in the United States. Their patient had an icteric febrile illness. We are reporting a patient with an anicteric course marked by a benign aseptic meningitis. This is the second instance, to our knowledge, of leptospirosis