Leptospirosis in animals and human contacts in Egypt: broad range surveillance.
Abstract: Leptospirosis is a re-emerging zoonotic disease of humans and animals worldwide. The disease is caused by pathogenic species of the genus Leptospira. These organisms are maintained in nature via chronic renal infection of carrier animals, which excrete the organisms in their urine. Humans become infected through direct or indirect exposure to infected animals and their urine or through contact with contaminated water and soil. This study was conducted to investigate Leptospira infections as a re-emerging zoonosis that has been neglected in Egypt. Methods: Samples from 1,250 animals (270 rats, 168 dogs, 625 cows, 26 buffaloes, 99 sheep, 14 horses, 26 donkeys and 22 camels), 175 human contacts and 45 water sources were collected from different governorates in Egypt. The samples were collected from different body sites and prepared for culture, PCR and the microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Results: The isolation rates of Leptospira serovars were 6.9%, 11.3% and 1.1% for rats, dogs and cows, respectively, whereas the PCR results revealed respective detection rates of 24%, 11.3% and 1.1% for rats, dogs and cows. Neither the other examined animal species nor humans yielded positive results via these two techniques. Only six Leptospira serovars (Icterohaemorrhagiae, Pomona, Canicola, Grippotyphosa, Celledoni and Pyrogenes) could be isolated from rats, dogs and cows. Moreover, the seroprevalence of leptospiral antibodies among the examined humans determined using MAT was 49.7%. Conclusions: The obtained results revealed that rats, dogs and cows were the most important animal reservoirs for leptospirosis in Egypt, and the high seroprevalence among human contacts highlights the public health implications of this neglected zoonosis.
Publication Date: 2015-06-25 PubMed ID: 26108004DOI: 10.1590/0037-8682-0102-2015Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
- Animal Health
- Animal Science
- Animal Species
- Disease control
- Disease Prevalence
- Disease Surveillance
- Disease Transmission
- Disease Treatment
- Epidemiology
- Equine Health
- Infectious Disease
- Leptospira
- Microscopic Agglutination Test
- Public Health
- Serodiagnosis
- Seroprevalence
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Research
- Veterinary Science
- Zoonotic Diseases
Summary
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This study focuses on an analysis of the presence and infectious rates of Leptospirosis, a zoonotic disease, in animals and humans in Egypt. The core findings reveal that rats, dogs, and cows are the primary animal carriers of this disease in the country, while a significant proportion of humans in contact with these animals also test positive for the infection.
Methodology and Samples Collection
- The researchers carried out broad range surveillance on Leptospira infections. They gathered samples from 1,250 animals, including rats, dogs, cows, buffaloes, sheep, horses, donkeys, and camels.
- Human samples were obtained from 175 individuals who had come in contact with these animals, along with samples from 45 water sources across different governorates in Egypt.
- The collection of samples from various body sites was performed and then subject to multiple tests.
Investigation and Detection Techniques
- The study employed various methods including culture, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), and the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) for detection and identification of Leptospira species.
- The culture method was used to grow Leptospira organisms obtained from the samples, while PCR was used to amplify and detect the DNA of Leptospira.
- The MAT test was utilized to assess the presence of antibodies in the blood that indicates presence or past presence of a Leptospira infection.
Findings
- The study found isolation rates of Leptospira of 6.9%, 11.3%, and 1.1% from rats, dogs, and cows respectively.
- The PCR tests also revealed detection rates of 24%, 11.3% and 1.1% for same animals.
- Six Leptospira serovars, namely Icterohaemorrhagiae, Pomona, Canicola, Grippotyphosa, Celledoni and Pyrogenes, were identified in the investigated organisms.
- No positive results were yielded from the other animals nor the human samples when tested with culture and PCR techniques.
- MAT testing indicated that about half of the tested human group (49.7%) had been exposed to leptospiral infection.
Conclusion
- The research concludes that rats, dogs, and cows serve as major animal reservoirs for Leptospirosis in Egypt.
- The study also emphasizes the significant health implications of this neglected zoonosis due to the high seroprevalence among human contacts, pointing to a need for increased focus on disease control measures.
Cite This Article
APA
Samir A, Soliman R, El-Hariri M, Abdel-Moein K, Hatem ME.
(2015).
Leptospirosis in animals and human contacts in Egypt: broad range surveillance.
Rev Soc Bras Med Trop, 48(3), 272-277.
https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0102-2015 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
- Department of Zoonoses, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
MeSH Terms
- Agglutination Tests / veterinary
- Animals
- Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
- Buffaloes
- Camelus
- Cattle
- Communicable Diseases, Emerging
- Disease Reservoirs / statistics & numerical data
- Disease Reservoirs / veterinary
- Dogs
- Egypt / epidemiology
- Equidae
- Humans
- Leptospira / genetics
- Leptospira / immunology
- Leptospirosis / diagnosis
- Leptospirosis / epidemiology
- Leptospirosis / veterinary
- Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Prevalence
- Rats
- Seroepidemiologic Studies
- Sheep
- Zoonoses / epidemiology
- Zoonoses / microbiology
Citations
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