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PLoS neglected tropical diseases2019; 13(12); e0007990; doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007990

Evidence of Leptospiral Presence in the Cumberland Gap Region.

Abstract: Leptospirosis is a widespread zoonotic disease that causes reproductive losses and/or hepatorenal failure in a number of animal species. Wild reservoirs of the disease, such as rodents, harbor the causative bacterium, Leptospira spp., in their kidneys and contaminate the environment by excreting infected urine. In this study, we tested small wild mammals, environmental water, and livestock in the Cumberland Gap region of southeastern Appalachia for the presence of pathogenic Leptospira or leptospiral antibodies. Small wild mammals (n = 101) and environmental water samples (n = 89) were screened by a real time quantitative PCR that targets the pathogenic Leptospira-specific lipl32 gene. Kidneys from 63 small wild mammals (62.37%) and two water sources (2.25%) tested positive for leptospiral DNA. To identify the infecting leptospiral species in qPCR-positive water and kidney samples, a fragment of leptospiral rpoB gene was PCR amplified and sequenced. L. kirschneri and L. interrogans were the leptospiral species carried by small wild mammals. Furthermore, sera from livestock (n = 52; cattle and horses) were screened for leptospiral antibodies using microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Twenty sera (38.46%) from livestock had antibodies to one or more serovars of pathogenic Leptospira spp. In conclusion, results from our study show exposure to leptospiral infection in farm animals and the presence of this zoonotic pathogen in the environmental water and kidneys of a significant number of small wild mammals. The public health implications of these findings remain to be assessed.
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Publication Date: 2019-12-26 PubMed ID: 31877135PubMed Central: PMC6952108DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007990Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article documents an investigation of the prevalence of Leptospira, a bacterium that causes leptospirosis, in the Cumberland Gap region. The study included tests on small wild mammals, environmental water, and livestock, revealing a significant presence of pathogenic Leptospira.

Research Goals and Methods

  • The research was designed with the aim to understand the prevalence of leptospirosis, a zoonotic disease that affects several animal species, causing reproductive losses and hepatorenal issues.
  • The researchers sampled small wild mammals and environmental water in the Cumberland Gap region of southeastern Appalachia. They also screened livestock to study the prevalence and spread of the leptospiral infection.
  • The samples were tested using real-time quantitative PCR, specifically targeting the pathogenic Leptospira-specific lipl32 gene, to identify the presence of leptospiral DNA.

Results and Findings

  • The research found that 62.37% of the sampled kidneys from small wild mammals and 2.25% of the water sources contained leptospiral DNA. This indicates a substantial presence of Leptospira bacterium in the wild animal population and environmental water in the area.
  • Additionally, by amplifying and sequencing a fragment of leptospiral rpoB gene in qPCR-positive water and kidney samples, researchers were able to identify the infecting leptospiral species, L. kirschneri and L. interrogans, carried by small wild mammals.
  • Analysis of sera from livestock (cattles and horses) using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) revealed that 38.46% had antibodies to one or more serovars of pathogenic Leptospira spp.

Implications

  • The findings underline the exposure to leptospiral infection in farm animals and highlight the presence of the zoonotic pathogen in environmental water sources and kidneys of a large number of small wild mammals.
  • The presence of leptospirosis in livestock animals suggests a possible risk of transmission to humans, underlining the potential public health risk.
  • While the study sighs light on the extent of leptospiral spread within the studied region, it underlines that the public health implications of the findings need further detailed assessment.

Cite This Article

APA
Verma A, Beigel B, Smola CC, Kitts-Morgan S, Kish D, Nader P, Morgan J, Roberson J, Christmann U, Gruszynski K, Brandt L, Cho E, Murphy K, Goss R. (2019). Evidence of Leptospiral Presence in the Cumberland Gap Region. PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 13(12), e0007990. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0007990

Publication

PLoS neglected tropical diseases
ISSN: 1935-2735
NlmUniqueID: 101291488
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 13
Issue: 12
Pages: e0007990

Researcher Affiliations

Verma, Ashutosh
  • Center for Infectious, Zoonotic and Vector-borne diseases, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, United States of America.
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, United States of America.
Beigel, Brittney
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, United States of America.
Smola, Christopher Carl
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, United States of America.
Kitts-Morgan, Susanna
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, United States of America.
Kish, Daniel
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, United States of America.
Nader, Paul
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, United States of America.
Morgan, Joey
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, United States of America.
Roberson, Jerry
  • Center for Infectious, Zoonotic and Vector-borne diseases, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, United States of America.
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, United States of America.
Christmann, Undine
  • Center for Infectious, Zoonotic and Vector-borne diseases, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, United States of America.
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, United States of America.
Gruszynski, Karen
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, United States of America.
  • Center for Animal and Human Health in Appalachia, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, United States of America.
Brandt, LaRoy
  • Cumberland Mountain Research Center, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, United States of America.
  • School of Mathematics and Science, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, United States of America.
Cho, Ellen
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, United States of America.
Murphy, Kelly
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, United States of America.
Goss, Ryan
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, United States of America.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Domestic
  • Appalachian Region / epidemiology
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / genetics
  • Kidney / microbiology
  • Leptospira / classification
  • Leptospira / genetics
  • Leptospira / isolation & purification
  • Leptospirosis / epidemiology
  • Leptospirosis / microbiology
  • Leptospirosis / veterinary
  • Lipoproteins / genetics
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Rodentia
  • Water Microbiology

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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Citations

This article has been cited 6 times.
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