Serological evidence of leptospirosis in Iran; A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Abstract: Leptospirosis is a neglected infectious zoonotic disease that affects domestic animals and wildlife as well as humans. Although leptospirosis is known as an endemic disease in Iran, there is no accurate information on the overall prevalence of this disease in humans and animals. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to estimate the seroprevalence of leptospirosis among human and domestic and wild animals in Iran. A systematic review of English and Persian articles (since 1998 to December 2017) was conducted using Google Scholar, Medline/PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of science and Iranian databases Iranmedex, Scientific Information Database (SID), Magiran, and IRANDOC. Search terms include leptospirosis, Leptospira, serology, seroprevalence, seroepidemiology, serological, Iran, cow, goat, sheep, camel, dog, cat, equine, donkey, horse, mule and rodent. In Eventually 66 articles were selected to analyze based on inclusion criteria. Seroprevalence of leptospirosis in human was 27.84% (95% CI: 13.22-22.47) and 19.71% (95% CI: 6.78-32.65%) based on ELISA and MAT, respectively. The pooled prevalence of leptospirosis in cow, sheep, goat and camel was 26.62% (95% CI: 18.76-34.48), 17.38% (95% CI: 13.32-21.43), 12.18% (95% CI: 9.96-14.41) and 22.68% (95% CI: 18.97-26.40), respectively. The prevalence of leptospirosis in horse, donkey, and mule was 19.99% (95% CI: 13.32-26.68), 40.59% (95% CI: 33.20-47.97) and 9.10% (95% CI: 2.90-15.30), respectively. The prevalence in dog and cat were estimated 14.63% (95% CI: 3.49-25.77) and 14.44% (95% CI: 3.25-25.65), respectively. The prevalence of seropositivity in rodents was estimated 20.96% (95% CI: 10.62-31.30). This study is a very comprehensive report on the status of leptospirosis in Iran. Based on our results, leptospirosis has considerable seroprevalence among human and animals in Iran. This high seroprevalence of leptospirosis showed should be given more attention for this disease in Iran and thus health measures must be taken to diagnosis, control and prevent it.
Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2019-11-04 PubMed ID: 31698052DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2019.103833Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Meta-Analysis
- Systematic Review
Summary
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The research article focuses on estimating the prevalence of the infectious zoonotic disease, leptospirosis, in humans and both domestic and wild animals in Iran through a systematic review and meta-analysis of scholarly articles.
Detail Explanation of the Research Paper
The research was carried out due to a significant lack of specific information on the prevalence of leptospirosis in Iran. Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease that leads to illness not only in humans, but also in a wide range of animals, both domestic and wild.
- For this purpose, the researchers conducted a systematic review of articles in both English and Persian from 1998 through to December 2017.
- They used various platforms and Iranian databases like Google Scholar, Medline/PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, Iranmedex, Scientific Information Database (SID), Magiran, and IRANDOC in the search for content related to the prevalence of leptospirosis in Iran.
- Keyword search terms included “leptospirosis”, “Leptospira”, “serology”, “seroprevalence”, “seroepidemiology”, “serological”, “Iran”, and various animal classifications.
- 66 articles that met the inclusion criteria were selected for detailed investigation and data synthesis.
Data Findings
The systematic review and meta-analysis of the selected articles revealed leptospirosis’ seroprevalence in humans and different animal species in Iran. The researchers detailed this with specific percentage prevalence rates.
- The seroprevalence in humans was found to be 27.84% according to the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay test (ELISA) and 19.71% according to the Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT).
- Reviewing reports on domesticated animals indicated varying prevalence levels: cows showed a 26.62% seroprevalence rate, sheep (17.38%), goats (12.18%), and camels (22.68%).
- Among equines, prevalence rates varied significantly: horses (19.99%), donkeys (40.59%), and mules (9.10%).
- Pets such as dogs and cats had an estimated prevalence of 14.63% and 14.44% respectively.
- In rodents, the prevalence of seropositivity was estimated to be 20.96%.
Research Implications
Based on the findings, the researchers emphasize that leptospirosis has a significant seroprevalence among humans and animals in Iran. They therefore recommend further attention be given to this disease in terms of diagnosing, controlling, and preventing it to minimize its public health impact. They propose this study can serve as a comprehensive report on the status of leptospirosis in Iran, which could guide the development of public health strategies and interventions.
Cite This Article
APA
Khalili M, Sakhaee E, Bagheri Amiri F, Safat AA, Afshar D, Esmaeili S.
(2019).
Serological evidence of leptospirosis in Iran; A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Microb Pathog, 138, 103833.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micpath.2019.103833 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran; Jiroft University of Medical Sciences, Jiroft, Iran.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kermanm, Iran.
- Urology and Nephrology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kermanm, Iran.
- Department of Microbiology, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
- National Reference Laboratory of Plague, Tularemia and Q Fever, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: dr.saberesmaeili@gmail.com.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Cats / microbiology
- Cattle / microbiology
- Dogs / microbiology
- Goats / microbiology
- Horses / microbiology
- Humans
- Iran / epidemiology
- Leptospirosis / epidemiology
- Prevalence
- Rodentia / microbiology
- Seroepidemiologic Studies
- Sheep / microbiology
- Swine / microbiology
- Zoonoses / epidemiology
Conflict of Interest Statement
Declaration of competing interest None.
Citations
This article has been cited 12 times.- Wassie AT, Assefa AY, Ambaw YG, Assefa SK, Endalamew SG. Leptospirosis Seroprevalence in Humans and Livestock of East Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2000-2024). Vet Med Sci 2025 Nov;11(6):e70666.
- Imandar M, Javadi A, Abdollahpour G, Mahale PRS, Qanbari A, Mirzaalimohammadi M, Taherkhani E, Olfatifar M, Nikkhahi F, Eslahi AV, Badri M. Detection of Antibodies Against Leptospira interrogans Serovars Among Stabled Horses in Qazvin Province of Iran as a One-Health Concern. Vet Med Sci 2025 Sep;11(5):e70520.
- Badri M, Sheikhdavoodi N, Nikkhahi F, Eslahi AV, Karanis P. A case of severe leptospirosis complicated with massive rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney injury: a case report. J Med Case Rep 2025 Jul 4;19(1):316.
- Wainaina M, Wasonga J, Cook EAJ. Epidemiology of human and animal leptospirosis in Kenya: A systematic review and meta-analysis of disease occurrence, serogroup diversity and risk factors. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024 Sep;18(9):e0012527.
- Li L, Li S, Ma H, Akhtar MF, Tan Y, Wang T, Liu W, Khan A, Khan MZ, Wang C. An Overview of Infectious and Non-Infectious Causes of Pregnancy Losses in Equine. Animals (Basel) 2024 Jul 2;14(13).
- Lashkarbolouk N, Mazandarani M. Leptospirosis in a patient with cardiac manifestation: A case report study and literature review. Clin Case Rep 2024 May;12(5):e8883.
- Ramin A, Abdollahpour G, Hosseinzadeh A, Azizzadeh F, Ramin P, Klalili Y, Sanajo D, Iran Nezhad S. Comparison of anti-Leptospira antibodies by microscopic agglutination test in ruminants and equines of Urmia, Iran. Vet Res Forum 2023;14(4):229-235.
- Donato G, Masucci M, Hartmann K, Goris MGA, Ahmed AA, Archer J, Alibrandi A, Pennisi MG. Leptospira spp. Prevalence in Cats from Southern Italy with Evaluation of Risk Factors for Exposure and Clinical Findings in Infected Cats. Pathogens 2022 Sep 30;11(10).
- Arzamani K, Abdollahpour G, Azimian A, van Belkum A, Ghasemzadeh-Moghaddam H. High-level seroprevalence against Leptospira interrogans serovars among wild foxes, jackals and stray dogs in the North Khorasan Province, Iran. Vet Med Sci 2022 Sep;8(5):1915-1921.
- Mushtaq A, Shoukat T, Mumtaz T, Qasim M, Ajmal K, Fatima N, Khan A, Kouser M, Hussain N, Khan SS, Afzal MS, Simsek S, Ahmed H. Tick-borne Diseases in Sheep and Goats in Pakistan: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Acta Parasitol 2021 Dec;66(4):1316-1325.
- Hashemi SA, Arzamani K, Abdollahpour G, Beheshti N, Alavinia M, Azimian A, Neela VK, van Belkum A, Ghasemzadeh-Moghaddam H. Seroprevalence of Leptospira infection in occupational risk groups in North Khorasan province, Iran. Heliyon 2021 Jan;7(1):e05983.
- Bertasio C, Boniotti MB, Lucchese L, Ceglie L, Bellinati L, Mazzucato M, Furlanello T, D'Incau M, Natale A. Detection of New Leptospira Genotypes Infecting Symptomatic Dogs: Is a New Vaccine Formulation Needed?. Pathogens 2020 Jun 18;9(6).
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