Serological surveillance of Leptospirosis in Italy: two‑year national data (2010‑2011).

The research explores the prevalence of Leptospirosis, a widespread, often underestimated infectious disease, in Italy. Using data from the National Reference Centre for Leptospirosis (NRCL), the paper analyzes serological data from serum samples collected between 2010-2011.

Objective of the Research

• The research aimed to evaluate the distribution of Leptospirosis in Italy, an infectious disease that is re-emerging and often underestimated worldwide.

Methodology

• For the study, the NRCL, along with other Istituti Zooprofilattici Sperimentali, collected and analyzed serological data between 2010 and 2011.
• Around 43,935 animal samples, including bovine, swine, ovine, goat, dog, wild boar, etc., were tested using the Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT) method.
• The test used antigens from 8 serogroups including Australis, Ballum, Canicola, Grippotyphosa, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Pomona, Sejroe, and Tarassovi.
• A MAT cut-off of 1:100 was used to identify serological positives, finding 6,279 sera with positive titers.

Findings

• The research discovered that leptospirosis is quite common in Italy, with the most common serogroups being: Australis present in dogs, wild boars, horses, swine, foxes, and rodents; Sejroe detected in cattle, sheep, goats, and buffaloes; Icterohaemorrhagiae present in dogs, goats, and foxes; Pomona detected in swine, cattle, and wild species; Grippotyphosa reported in hares.
• The animals most frequently delivered to the Laboratories were bovine (46.9%), swine (27.5%), ovine and goat (7.4%), dog (6.9%), and wild boar (4.5%) samples with equine and other species showing lesser frequency.