Leptospirosis Research Articles

Clinical Features and Severity of Leptospirosis Cases Reported in the Hawke's Bay Region of New Zealand.

Aims To record demographics, symptoms, signs, and laboratory features of confirmed leptospirosis cases in the Hawke's Bay area of New Zealand to aid clinicians in diagnosis and recognition of severity. Methods Review of suspected leptospirosis cases referred to the reference laboratory from hospitals in the Hawke's Bay region between March 2003 and March 2012. Inclusion criteria were IgM positivity and diagnosis confirmed with either polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or microscopic agglutination test (MAT). A retrospective systematic review of case notes was completed for demographic and laboratory data. Results Forty-three cases were included. Most common presenting symptoms were pyrexia (93%), myalgia, and headache (both 86%). 93% of patients worked in the farming or meat industries. The most common biochemical abnormalities were elevated CRP (100%) and abnormal urinalysis (93%). There was no difference in disease severity between icteric and anicteric patients. Compared to other studies, patients in New Zealand have less severe disease. Conclusion Contrary to popular understanding, this study has not found icteric leptospirosis to be related to more severe disease. Anicteric leptospirosis should be a differential diagnosis in patients presenting with pyrexia, myalgia, and headache who have elevated CRP and abnormal urinalysis.

An inventory of the types of rodent spread in Houses with a study of external parasites of the most dominant species at Esna area, Luxor Governorate, Egypt

An inventory of the types of rodent spread in Houses with a study of external parasites of the most dominant species at Esna area, Luxor Governorate, Egypt

Leptospirosis in Ruminants in Yogyakarta, Indonesia: A Serological Survey with Mixed Methods to Identify Risk Factors

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease occurring worldwide with reproductive symptoms and production losses in livestock, while humans can suffer fatal renal failure. In Yogyakarta Special Province, Indonesia, there have been several outbreaks with high case fatality, demonstrating the public health importance, but there is limited understanding of the epidemiology. This study used an EcoHealth approach to ensure transdisciplinarity and community participation. Seroprevalence of Leptospira in animals was studied between October 2011 and May 2013 in 15 villages. Serum samples from 1404 cattle and 60 small ruminants were screened by a Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT), first in pools, and then the individual positive samples were identified. Focus group discussions including farmers, village officials, and official stakeholders were used to explore knowledge and behavior of zoonotic diseases, particularly leptospirosis. Two small ruminants were seropositive for Leptospira icterohemorrhagiae. From the cattle, 3.7% were seropositive, and the most common serovars were Leptospira hardjo, followed by L. icterohemorrhagiae. Out of all farms, 5.6% had at least one positive cattle. Risk factor analyses showed that the risk of the farm being seropositive increased if the farmer used water from an open source, or if farming was not the main occupation. This study showed the presence of Leptospira spp. in ruminants in Yogyakarta and identified use of open water as a risk factor for the livestock. We also observed that the knowledge related to leptospirosis was low, and risky farm management practices were commonly employed.

Identification of Leptospira Serovar in Leptospirosis Suspect Serum in Manggala Subdistrict, Makassar City

BACKGROUND: Leptospirosis or also commonly called Weil disease is an acute infectious disease that can attack humans and animals and is classified as a zoonotic disease. Leptospirosis is caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira found in rodents. The difficulty of the diagnosis process causes the case of leptospirosis less reported and is one of the neglected infectious diseases. Patient findings are often not optimal because of underdiagnosis or misdiagnosis. AIM: This study aims to determine the presence of Leptospira serovar bacteria in blood serum of leptospirosis suspect using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) method. METHODS: This study is a descriptive observational using accidental sampling technique. Sample collection was performed in the Antang Community Health Center, Batua Health Center, and Bangkala Health Center in Manggala District. RESULTS: This study found that there were 31 serum samples. Results of MAT examination on blood serum yielded 11 positive samples of Leptospira (37%) with serovar Hebdomadis, Djasiman, Mini, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Bangkingan, and Bataviae. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of Leptospira bacteria in blood serum of suspected individuals using the MAT method obtained 11 samples of positive blood serum. Special counseling activities are required about leptospirosis and diagnosis enforcement in the community or workers who experience symptoms or leptospirosis suspect.

Anticorpos anti-Leptospira spp em cavalos carroceiros da cidade de Guaíba, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

The objective of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of antibodies against Leptospira spp in horses used by communities of informal waste collectors who use horse-drawn cartsin Guaíba, Rio Grande do Sul. Additionally, interviews were conducted with owners to assess the characteristics of the horses, their environment, and work. Serological testing for Leptospira spp. was performed on blood samples collected from 54 horses using the microscopic agglutination test. Results showed that 50.0% of the horses were seropositive for Leptospira spp and the most frequent serogroup was LeptospiraCanicola (88. 8%), followed by Leptospira Pyrogenes (11.1%), Leptospira Bataviae (7.4%), Leptospira Hebdomadis (7.4%), Leptospira Icterohaemorrhagiae (3.7%), Leptospira Australis (3.7%), Leptospira Pomona (3.7%) and Leptospira Copenhageni (3.7%). There were no statistically significant associations between seropositivity for Leptospira spp and age, gender, body score, water source, type of food storage, cohabitation with dogs, rodent infestation, residential flooding, and waste removal services. The prevalence of the Canicola serogroup, as well as a large number of dogs in close relationship with thehorses and the waste collectors, draws attention to the potential of these animals to become a source of Leptospira spp. infection in humans and other animals.

Viral Hepatitis A

Epidemics of infectious jaundice have been reported throughout recorded history. However, the proof that many of these outbreaks and individual cases of acute hepatitis were caused by a viral infection, the hepatitis A virus (HAV), did not appear until the 1960s. After the transmission of infection to marmosets and humans, the epidemiologic and virologic characteristics that differed between hepatitis A and hepatitis B virus infections were defined more clearly. After the development and licensure of hepatitis A vaccines in the 1990s, it became possible to implement an effective prevention program involving routine immunization of young children in the United States and several other Western countries. However, despite the dramatic efficacy of the childhood immunization program in reducing the incidence of acute hepatitis from HAV in the population, older children and adults remained susceptible. Significant morbidity continues to occur in the United States among international travelers, injection drug users, persons with underlying liver disease, and other high-risk populations. Since HAV is a global pathogen, the prevention of increasing morbidity from hepatitis A attributable to the incidence of clinically more severe disease increases in countries transitioning from high to intermediate or low endemic status is a major public health challenge. In this review, we discuss the epidemiology, virology, clinical characteristics, and prevention of hepatitis A infections. This review contains 8 figures, 3 tables and 89 references Key words: epidemiology, global impact, hepatitis A vaccine, hepatitis A virus, prevention, reservoirs, risk factors, treatment

Viral Hepatitis A

Epidemics of infectious jaundice have been reported throughout recorded history. However, the proof that many of these outbreaks and individual cases of acute hepatitis were caused by a viral infection, the hepatitis A virus (HAV), did not appear until the 1960s. After the transmission of infection to marmosets and humans, the epidemiologic and virologic characteristics that differed between hepatitis A and hepatitis B virus infections were defined more clearly. After the development and licensure of hepatitis A vaccines in the 1990s, it became possible to implement an effective prevention program involving routine immunization of young children in the United States and several other Western countries. However, despite the dramatic efficacy of the childhood immunization program in reducing the incidence of acute hepatitis from HAV in the population, older children and adults remained susceptible. Significant morbidity continues to occur in the United States among international travelers, injection drug users, persons with underlying liver disease, and other high-risk populations. Since HAV is a global pathogen, the prevention of increasing morbidity from hepatitis A attributable to the incidence of clinically more severe disease increases in countries transitioning from high to intermediate or low endemic status is a major public health challenge. In this review, we discuss the epidemiology, virology, clinical characteristics, and prevention of hepatitis A infections. This review contains 8 figures, 3 tables and 89 references Key words: epidemiology, global impact, hepatitis A vaccine, hepatitis A virus, prevention, reservoirs, risk factors, treatment

Viral Hepatitis A

Epidemics of infectious jaundice have been reported throughout recorded history. However, the proof that many of these outbreaks and individual cases of acute hepatitis were caused by a viral infection, the hepatitis A virus (HAV), did not appear until the 1960s. After the transmission of infection to marmosets and humans, the epidemiologic and virologic characteristics that differed between hepatitis A and hepatitis B virus infections were defined more clearly. After the development and licensure of hepatitis A vaccines in the 1990s, it became possible to implement an effective prevention program involving routine immunization of young children in the United States and several other Western countries. However, despite the dramatic efficacy of the childhood immunization program in reducing the incidence of acute hepatitis from HAV in the population, older children and adults remained susceptible. Significant morbidity continues to occur in the United States among international travelers, injection drug users, persons with underlying liver disease, and other high-risk populations. Since HAV is a global pathogen, the prevention of increasing morbidity from hepatitis A attributable to the incidence of clinically more severe disease increases in countries transitioning from high to intermediate or low endemic status is a major public health challenge. In this review, we discuss the epidemiology, virology, clinical characteristics, and prevention of hepatitis A infections. This review contains 8 figures, 3 tables and 89 references Key words: epidemiology, global impact, hepatitis A vaccine, hepatitis A virus, prevention, reservoirs, risk factors, treatment

Viral Hepatitis A

Epidemics of infectious jaundice have been reported throughout recorded history. However, the proof that many of these outbreaks and individual cases of acute hepatitis were caused by a viral infection, the hepatitis A virus (HAV), did not appear until the 1960s. After the transmission of infection to marmosets and humans, the epidemiologic and virologic characteristics that differed between hepatitis A and hepatitis B virus infections were defined more clearly. After the development and licensure of hepatitis A vaccines in the 1990s, it became possible to implement an effective prevention program involving routine immunization of young children in the United States and several other Western countries. However, despite the dramatic efficacy of the childhood immunization program in reducing the incidence of acute hepatitis from HAV in the population, older children and adults remained susceptible. Significant morbidity continues to occur in the United States among international travelers, injection drug users, persons with underlying liver disease, and other high-risk populations. Since HAV is a global pathogen, the prevention of increasing morbidity from hepatitis A attributable to the incidence of clinically more severe disease increases in countries transitioning from high to intermediate or low endemic status is a major public health challenge. In this review, we discuss the epidemiology, virology, clinical characteristics, and prevention of hepatitis A infections. This review contains 8 figures, 3 tables and 89 references Key words: epidemiology, global impact, hepatitis A vaccine, hepatitis A virus, prevention, reservoirs, risk factors, treatment

Dissemination kinetics and pathology of canine Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae isolate in a guinea pig infection model

ABSTRACT Despite significant progress made in elucidating the mechanism of acute human leptospirosis in different organs, there is a paucity of information in organs such as the heart, pancreas, brain, and adrenal gland. This study was designed to establish leptospire dissemination kinetics and patho-morphological changes associated with these orangs in the guinea pig infection model using cultural isolation (CI), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Warthin Starry silver stain (WSss), immunohistochemistry (IH), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Twenty guinea pigs were inoculated intra-peritoneally with a low dosage of 1 × 107 Leptospira interrogans serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae and 10 as control using distilled water. The guinea pigs were sacrificed at post-infection day (p.i.d.) ½, 1, 3, 5, and 7 followed by the harvest of the brain, pancreas, adrenal gland, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and spleen for CI, PCR, HE, WSss, IH, and TEM evaluations. The study revealed early dissemination of Leptospira organism in the brain, heart, pancreas, and adrenal gland and exerted various histopathological changes that were not explicitly elucidated in previous studies. This study revealed that the virulent pathogenic isolate of Leptospira organism obtained from clinically infected dog mimicked the same clinical manifestations, gross and histopathological changes especially in organs that were not previously evaluated.

Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis and Atypical Uremic Syndrome Associated with Weil Syndrome

In 1886, the German internist Adolph Weil described for the first time a disease caused by the spirochete family of the genus Leptospira spp., causing the infectious disease called leptospirosis or Weil Syndrome in a systemic stage. The disease is transmitted by direct contact with infected animals, which eliminates the bacteria through urine or by contact with the soil and water where they live. Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) or hemophagocytic syndrome, is a syndrome caused by immunological activation involving different organs. It has also been documented, as a cause of Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (aHUS) rarely. In this report, we describe an extremely rare clinical presentation of leptospirosis (Weil Syndrome), associated with HLH and aHUS, an association with great clinical relevance. The syndrome that until today has not been described is the first case report, made formally in the medical literature.

Frecuencia de leptospirosis en equinos: revisión de literatura

Equine leptospirosis has been associated with abortions, renal failure and uveitis, which constitutes a health and economic problem. However, it is generally asymptomatic, which makes this disease of little interest in equines in comparison with other domestic and wild species. At present, the real epidemiological situation of leptospirosis in equines is unknown; just as the disease develops in these animals. A search of scientific literature was carried out; with the objective of knowing which are the serovars of genus leptospira reported in equines from 2010 to 2020. In the literature review, 21 articles were selected, in which it was identified that Leptospira Bratislava, is the most frequently reported (11.43%, IC95%: 6-19.1%) is in contact with equines, followed by Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae (9.52%, IC95%: 4.6-16.8%).

Клинические особенности лептоспирозов в Ярославской области

Клинические особенности лептоспирозов в Ярославской области

New insights on the infection of pathogenic Leptospira species in American mink (Neovison vison) in southern Chile.

Leptospirosis is a zoonosis of global distribution, caused by the infection of pathogenic Leptospira, a group of bacteria capable of infecting both domestic and wild animals. Mink (Neovison vison) in southern Chile is recognized as a wild and synanthropic rodent predator (among various other prey), and Leptospira infection in them can be acquired through contact with the pathogen in the environment or by eating infected prey. Thus, the aim of this study was to provide more specifics regarding the source of the infection for the American mink under the conditions of Southern Chile. Minks were captured in the Los Ríos region, southern Chile, in an area with well-developed dairy farming. Two areas were selected for mink trapping, one with a high degree of dairy farming and a second with a low degree of dairy farming. Within them, 16 study sites were visited, and 45 American mink were trapped and euthanized to obtain kidney tissue and blood serum samples for bacteria isolation and determination of antibodies titers, respectively. Molecular characterization of the isolated strains was performed. Three minks from sites of high-dairy farming industry and only one from sites with low-degree dairy farming were detected as infected through molecular confirmation. This study shows evidence that confirms previous findings made in southern Chile, regarding mink as host of Leptospira interrogans serovar Hardjo-prajitno associated to cattle-farming areas. However, typing information ( Leptospira interrogans Copenhageni and Icterohaemorrhagiae ) suggests that the consumption of rodents may also be a potential source of infection.

Изучение эффективности современных методов диагностики лептоспироза на модели кроликов (экспериментальное заражение)

Изучение эффективности современных методов диагностики лептоспироза на модели кроликов (экспериментальное заражение)

Weil Disease Causing Kidney Failure Responsive to Steroids

Weil Disease Causing Kidney Failure Responsive to Steroids

Identifikasi Keberadaan Serovar Bakteri Leptospira pada Serum Darah Suspek Leptospirosis di Kecamatan Manggala Kota Makassar

Leptospirosis or also commonly called Weil disease is an acute infectious disease that can attack humans and animals and is classified as a zoonotic disease. Leptospirosis is caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira found in rodents. This study aims to determine the presence of Leptospira bacteria serovar in blood serum suspected of leptospirosis using the Microscopic Aglutination Test (MAT) method. This type of research is descriptive observational using accidental sampling technique with a total of 31 samples. Sampling was conducted at the Antang Community Health Center, Batua Health Center and Bangkala Health Center in Manggala District for two weeks. Data analysis in this research is descriptive in which the results are presented through tables and narratives. The results of MAT examination on blood serum yielded eleven positive samples of Leptospira (37%) with serovar Hebdomadis, Djasiman, Mini, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Bangkingan and Bataviae. The presence of Leptospira bacteria in the blood serum of suspected individuals using the MAT Method obtained 11 samples of positive blood serum. Need to conduct and improve special counseling activities about leptospirosis and diagnosis enforcement in the community or workers who experience symptoms or suspected leptospirosis.

Paediatrics in Theresienstadt ghetto.

The main objective of this study is to describe the most common childhood diseases occurring in the Theresienstadt ghetto during the Second World War as well as applied anti-epidemic measures. A partial objective is to describe medical and nursing care of sick child prisoners. The data was obtained by the method of synthesis of primary and secondary data with the highest importance after adequate external source criticism using selected monographs, memoirs, survivor diaries, Orders of the day by the Council of the Elders and Reports of the Jewish self-government of the Theresienstadt ghetto from 1941 to 1945, the Archives of the Jewish Museum in Prague, the Ghetto Museum, the Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, Post Bellum online electronic collection of oral historical interviews, and witness accounts. The validity of the presented conclusions is ensured by comparing data from several sources. The most common infections in Theresienstadt children were enteritis, scarlet fever, infectious jaundice, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, black cough, pneumonia, otitis media, and typhoid fever. Most of these infections had entirely atypical symptomatology or complications. Children were hospitalized in children's hospitals, in children's rooms of hospitals for adults and infirmaries in children's homes. Albeit diagnostic methods had a high standard, options of treatment were very limited. The most common treatments included bed rest, diet and cold compress. Occasionally, chemotherapeutic agents (e.g. a sulphonamide drug Prontosil) and Aspirin were available. The anti-epidemic measures in the ghetto focused on hygiene, enhancing children's immunity, vaccination and pest control.

Изменения слизистой оболочки верхних отделов желудочно-кишечного тракта у больных геморрагической лихорадкой с почечным синдромом и лептоспирозом

Изменения слизистой оболочки верхних отделов желудочно-кишечного тракта у больных геморрагической лихорадкой с почечным синдромом и лептоспирозом

Vaccine Preperative Trial for Leptospirosis and their Pathological, Immunological Study by Serum Electrophoresis

Leptospirosis is a fatal infectious disease caused by different serovars of Leptospira spirochetes affecting humans and animals. In the present study, the trials of the whole-cell killed formalin treated monovalent vaccine using Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae and trivalent vaccine using Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae, Leptospira louisiana, and Leptospira hebdomadis were studied. The serum electrophoresis studies were done after administration of the vaccine into the experimental albino mice along with the booster dose of the vaccinated serum by densitometric readings. Similarly, the pathological observations were made by dissecting the virulent mice, vaccinated mice, and comparing them with the control mice. The MAT titre was also studied after the booster dose administration of the vaccinated serum. The monovalent and trivalent whole-cell killed formalin treated vaccines shows significant raise in the total proteins, albumin, globulin, α 1 globulin, α 2 globulin, β globulin and γ globulins of the serum as well as increase in significant levels in the antibody levels after the administration of the booster dose at an interval of 14 days.
 Keywords: Leptospira, Whole-cell killed formalin treated vaccine, Immunological study, Pathological study, Serum electrophoresis.