scholarly journals Laboratory investigation of adult small ruminant Leptospirosis, a neglected infection in Greece: problems and recommendations

2018 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 223
Author(s):  
A. G. BISIAS (Α.Γ. ΜΠΙΣΙΑΣ) ◽  
C. S. KRITAS (Κ.Σ. ΚΡΗΤΑΣ) ◽  
C. H. BILLINIS (Χ. ΜΠΙΛΛΙΝΗΣ) ◽  
R. A. BURRIEL
Keyword(s):  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Small Ruminants ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Serological Screening ◽  
Pathogenic Leptospira ◽  
Tissue Samples ◽  
Microagglutination Test ◽  
Leptospira Spp ◽  
Kidney Lesions ◽  
Southern Greece

Leptospirosis is in Greece a neglected infection. Small ruminants and specifically sheep are accidental hosts of Leptospira spp, but they could also be disseminators of pathogenic serovars. Thus, the objective was to investigate leptospirosis of adult small ruminants coming from areas in Southern Greece, where accidental evidence had showed that leptospirosis could be an important infection for man and animals. For this purpose, blood and kidney samples were collected at slaughter from adult females. Collected samples were examined with a commercial serological screening kit, the microagglutination test ( MAT), histology and PCR. One hundred ten serum and 110 tissue samples were collected. Of the examined serum samples 55 (50%) were suspect for leptospirosis in the screening kit and 28 (25.45%) were MAT positive. Of the tissue samples 38 (34.5%) were PCR positive and 30 (27.2%) showed various degrees of microscopic kidney lesions. The serovars identified by the MAT were Tarassovi (10 animals), Autumnalis (8 animals), Zanoni (4 animals), Hebdomadis and Javanica (2 each), Bratislava and Hardjio prajitno (one each). The conclusion is that small ruminants and specifically sheep (98 animals) are disseminators of pathogenic Leptospira spp. serovars in areas where they predominate and climatic factors favor the survival of the pathogen.

scholarly journals Epidemiological characterization and risk factors associated with leptospirosis and brucellosis in small ruminants sold at animal fair in the Sertão Region of Pernambuco State, a semiarid Region of Northeastern Brazil

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 1933 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Romero Alexandre Alves ◽  
Geilson Manoel de Souza Lima ◽  
José Dêvede da Silva ◽  
Diego Figueiredo da Costa ◽  
Fabrine Alexandre dos Santos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Management System ◽  
Small Ruminants ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Semiarid Region ◽  
Intensive Management ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Leptospira Spp

The transit of infected animals may be a route for the introduction and dispersal of diseases, which necessitates protocols for the controlled entry of infected animals into herds. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of anti-Leptospira and anti-Brucella ovis antibodies in small ruminants sold at an animal fair in the Sertão region of the Pernambuco State, Northeastern Brazil, and to identify the possible risk factors associated with seropositivity. Serum samples were collected from 233 goats and 119 sheep, belonging to twelve different owners from November 2014 to June 2015. Diagnosis of Leptospira spp. infection was established using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT); for B. ovis infection, the agar gel immuno-diffusion (AGID) test was conducted. A total of 16/233 (6.87%; 95% CI = 4.27% – 10.83%) goats and 16/119 (13.45%; 95% CI = 8.67% – 21.24%) sheep were identified as seropositive for Leptospira spp. The most frequent serotype was Icterohaemorrhagiae. In goats, intensive management system (odds ratio = 15.8; p < 0.001) and consorted rearing of equines and goats (odds ratio = 7.3; p = 0.005) were identified as risk factors. There were no risk factors identified for sheep. Seven (5.88%; 95% CI = 2.88% – 11.65%) sheep were seropositive for B. ovis, and the intensive management system was identified as the risk factor (odds ratio = 11.5; p = 0.005). This suggests that Leptospira spp. and B. ovis infections occur in small ruminants commercialized in the Sertão region of the Pernambuco State. Thus, improvements to the sanitary conditions of the facilities and the control of synanthropic rodents are recommended.

scholarly journals Sheep Brucellosis in Kuwait: A Large-Scale Serosurvey, Identification of Brucella Species and Zoonotic Significance

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yousef Al-Sherida ◽  
Adel H. El-Gohary ◽  
Amro Mohamed ◽  
Mohamed El-Diasty ◽  
Gamal Wareth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Small Ruminants ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Tissue Samples ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
History Of ◽  
Combined Action

Brucellosis is a common zoonotic disease of major concern in humans of Kuwait, and B. melitensis causes most human cases. The disease is endemic in small ruminants, cattle, and camels for decades, causing substantial economic losses in livestock production. However, a nationwide large-scale investigation of brucellosis in the small ruminant population has not been done in the past two decades. A serosurvey of sheep brucellosis in the five districts of Kuwait with most animal production farms was done between 2016 and 2019. In total, 67,054 serum samples from 233 sheep herds were collected and tested. Additionally, milk and tissue samples were collected from 46 seropositive cases for bacteriology. Thirty persons from seven seropositive farms were tested by serology. The incidence of seropositive cases was 7% in districts devoid of vaccination, while it was 4.7% in farms with history of vaccination. The serosurvey revealed that 89% of non-vaccinated herds (n = 181) were seropositive by Rose Bengal test (RBT), buffered acidified plate antigen test (BAPAT), and complement fixation test (CFT). Prevalence of 100% was reported for non-vaccinated sheep herds from Al-Wafrah and Al-Jahra districts, followed by those from Al-Salmi (88.24%), Al-Abdali (86.7%) and Kabd (75.6%). Implementation of vaccination with B. melitensis Rev.1 vaccine and test-and-slaughters in 20 herds reduced the seroprevalence to 33.3% and 25% in herds from Al-Jahra and AL-Wafrah, respectively. B. melitensis was isolated from 20 samples (43.5%). More than half of the examined animal owners (56.6%) tested positive for Brucella using RBT, BAPAT and CFT. The high numbers of infected herds and high prevalence in herdsmen are alarming. Thus, control measures have to be ensured immediately. The epidemiological situation in Kuwait is similar to those of the neighboring countries and the combined action of these states is needed. The understanding of the economic and public health impact of brucellosis in Kuwait needs to grow.

scholarly journals SEROLOGICAL RESULTS OF MVV AND CAEV ANTIBODIES IN SAMPLES COLLECTED FROM SHEEP AND GOAT FLOCKS OF ROMANIA

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Alexandru Enache ◽  
Stelian Baraitareanu ◽  
Marius Dan ◽  
Maria Rodica Gurau ◽  
Camelia Nuţiu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Molecular Biology ◽  
Indirect Elisa ◽  
Small Ruminants ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
National Program ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Serological Screening ◽  
Bucharest City

INTRODUCTION: Maedi-Visna (MV) and Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis (CAE) are specific diseases of small ruminants caused by lentiretroviruses. These diseases are not a public health concern but they are important due to their economic impact. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to analyse the results of the serological screening for MVV and CAEV antibodies in samples collected from small ruminants farms located in 14 Romanian counties and the proximity of Bucharest city. METHODS: The samples were analysed by indirect ELISA, using a commercial diagnosis kit. We investigated 702 serum samples in 160 iELISA tests: 148 pools (2-5 samples/pool) and 12 individual animals. RESULTS: We noticed 27.50% positive samples that confirm the exposure to MVV and CAEV viruses of small ruminants, but the confirmation is requesting investigation using molecular biology tools or other serological techniques. CONCLUSION: A reliable picture over the SRLV infections could underlie a national program for monitoring.

scholarly journals Seroprevalence of Leptospira spp. Infection in Cattle from Central and Northern Madagascar

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. 2014
Author(s):  
Theresa Schafbauer ◽  
Anou Dreyfus ◽  
Benedikt Hogan ◽  
Raphael Rakotozandrindrainy ◽  
Sven Poppert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Agglutination Test ◽  
Microscopic Agglutination Test ◽  
Zebu Cattle ◽  
Zoonotic Infection ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Pathogenic Leptospira ◽  
High Exposure ◽  
Tropical Countries ◽  
Leptospira Spp ◽  
Very High

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease of global importance, especially in tropical countries. The current Leptospira spp. seroprevalence in cattle from central and northern Madagascar is unknown. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence resulting from infections with pathogenic Leptospira spp. in zebu cattle from these areas. Serum samples from 194 animals were tested by microscopic agglutination test (MAT) using a panel of 12 serovars as antigens. Samples with a titer of ≥1:100 were considered positive. The overall seroprevalence was 59.3% (95% CI; 52.0–66.2%) with titers ranging from 1:100 to 1:1600. Among the seropositive animals, the most frequent antibody reactions were against serovar L. Tarassovi (serogroup L. Tarassovi) with 40.2% (33.3–47.5%), followed by L. Hardjo (L. Sejroe) with 13.9% (9.5–19.8%), L. Grippotyphosa (L. Grippotyphosa) with 9.8% (6.2–15.1%), L. Pomona (L. Pomona) with 7.7% (4.5–12.7%) and L. Autumnalis (L. Autumnalis) with 5.2% (2.6–9.5%). Less than 5% of the samples reacted positively against the remaining serovars. These results indicate a very high exposure of Malagasy cattle to Leptospira spp. which, consequently, poses a definite risk for people working with cattle acquiring this zoonotic infection.

scholarly journals Factors associated with Leptospira sp infection in a large urban center in northeastern Brazil

2007 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 499-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juarez Pereira Dias ◽  
Maria Glória Teixeira ◽  
Maria Conceição Nascimento Costa ◽  
Carlos Maurício Cardeal Mendes ◽  
Patrícia Guimarães ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
General Population ◽  
Urban Communities ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Pathogenic Leptospira ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Microagglutination Test ◽  
Males And Females

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease that has emerged to cause epidemics in urban communities in developing countries. However, little is known about the infection in the general population. A seroprevalence survey was performed on a random sample of 1,390 subjects in Salvador, Brazil. Data on environmental and socioeconomic factors were collected. The microagglutination test of serum samples was used to show any prior Leptospira infection. The overall seroprevalence was 12.4%. Among the seropositive individuals, 111 (61%) had high titers for serovars of the Icterohaemorrhagiae serogroup. Seroprevalence increased with age and was similar for males and females. A positive correlation between Leptospira infection and low educational level was found. These findings indicate that a significant proportion of this urban population is exposed to pathogenic Leptospira. Public health actions for leptospirosis control will need to target not only the traditional groups at risk of infection with severe forms of this disease, but also the general population that is at risk.

scholarly journals Fifteen years of human leptospirosis in São Paulo, Brazil

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberta M. Blanco ◽  
Eliete C. Romero
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Sao Paulo ◽  
São Paulo ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Public Health Importance ◽  
Pathogenic Leptospira ◽  
Human Leptospirosis ◽  
Leptospira Spp ◽  
Seasonal Analysis

Objective: Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis caused by pathogenic Leptospira spp. The aim of this study was to report theincidence of leptospirosis from 1998 to 2012 in the state of São Paulo, Brazil to show the importance of human leptospirosis andto describe some epidemiological characteristics.Methods: From January 1998 to December 2012, sera from patients with suspected leptospirosis were analyzed. The microscopicagglutination test (MAT) was used for serological investigations and MLST, serotyping and PFGE methods for the identificationof leptospires. The descriptive seasonal analysis was performed with Excel Microsoft version 2007. Pearson’s correlation wasused to assess the association between rainfall and the number of cases.Results: Among 22,795 serum samples, 2,430 cases of leptospirosis were laboratory confirmed, giving an average incidence rateof 1.35/100,000 inhabitants. Of these patients, 2,032 (83.62%) were male with a predominance in the age groups of 21-50 years.The highest incidence and rainfall were from December to April. There was correlation between the rainfall and the number ofcases. Icterohaemorrhagiae was the predominant serogroup.Conclusions: This study shows that leptospirosis is a seasonal disease in São Paulo with most cases occurring during the rainyseason, and thus, will continue to be a disease of public health importance. 

scholarly journals A New Sensitive Serological Assay for Detection of Lentivirus Infections in Small Ruminants

1999 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 734-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Saman ◽  
Geertrui Van Eynde ◽  
Luis Lujan ◽  
Belén Extramiana ◽  
Gordon Harkiss ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Core Protein ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Transmembrane Protein ◽  
Small Ruminants ◽  
Economic Problem ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Serological Screening ◽  
Control And Eradication

ABSTRACT Lentivirus infections in small ruminants represent an economic problem affecting several European countries with important sheep-breeding industries. Programs for control and eradication of these infections are being initiated and require reliable screening assays. This communication describes the construction and evaluation of a new serological screening enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of antibodies to maedi-visna virus (MVV) in sheep and to caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) in goats. The solid phase is sensitized with a combination of the major core protein p25 of MVV produced in Escherichia coli and a peptide derived from the immunodominant region of the viral transmembrane protein gp46. The peptide carries an N-terminal biotin residue and is complexed with streptavidin prior to being coated. The new assay was evaluated with 2,336 sheep serum samples from different European countries with large differences in the levels of prevalence of MVV infections, and the results have been compared to those of the standard agar gel immunodiffusion test. Discrepant samples were analyzed by Western blotting with viral lysate, and most sera could be classified unambiguously. The estimated overall sensitivity of the new ELISA was 99.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 98.4 to 99.8%) and the specificity was 99.3% (95% CI, 98.7 to 99.6%). A limited set of goat sera (n = 212) was also analyzed, with similar results. These data indicate that the new assay is a reliable tool that can be used in control and eradication programs for small ruminant lentivirus infections.

scholarly journals Status of PPR and Sero-conversion of PPR Vaccines in Goats and Sheep of Midwestern Region of Nepal

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 41-46
Author(s):  
K.R. Pandey ◽  
J. Shrestha
Keyword(s):  
Vaccine Coverage ◽  
Small Ruminants ◽  
Movement Control ◽  
Elisa Test ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Epidemic Disease ◽  
Tissue Samples ◽  
Hill Region ◽  
Antigen Elisa

Peste des petits ruminant (PPR) is a common, acute, highly contagious and infectious viral epidemic disease of small ruminants which has caused significant economic losses in Nepal. Total of 247 suspected serum samples from 13 outbreaks from 8 districts of the Midwestern region of Nepal in 2015 were confirmed by using antibody ELISA test and in case of dead animals, the tissue samples were further confirmed by using antigen ELISA test. Out of 247 serum samples, 153 (61.9%) samples showed PPR antibody positive. The Ecozone wise distribution of PPR showed that the PPR outbreak were reported the highest in mountain followed by hills and the lowest in Terai. The highest outbreaks in mountain may be due to excessive movements of nomadic herd of sheep and goat, common pasture, low vaccine coverage in mountain whilst in hill region due to geographic difficulty and low sero-conversion of vaccine. Hence, strategic vaccination campaigns, proper biosecurity, movement control, risk analysis and early diagnosis need to be implemented for the control of PPR in the country.

scholarly journals Molecular and Serological Prevalence of Leptospira spp. in Feral Pigs (Sus scrofa) and their Habitats in Alabama, USA

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 857 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anil Poudel ◽  
Md Monirul Hoque ◽  
Steven Madere ◽  
Sara Bolds ◽  
Stuart Price ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Samples ◽  
Domestic Animal ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Pathogenic Leptospira ◽  
East Central ◽  
Feral Pigs ◽  
Leptospira Spp ◽  
Potential Pathogen ◽  
Leptospira Species

Leptospirosis is a widespread zoonosis and has been recognized as a re-emerging infectious disease in humans and a variety of wild and domestic animal species. In order to understand the prevalence and diversity of Leptospira spp. in feral pig populations of Alabama, we trapped 315 feral pigs in Bullock County east-central Alabama, and collected 97 environmental samples from riparian areas in Bullock County and Macon County east-central Alabama. Two previously published PCRs followed by DNA sequencing and BLASTn were performed to identify pathogenic Leptospira species in the kidney of feral pigs (3.2%, 10/315) as well as environmental samples collected from the habitats of feral pigs (2.1%, 2/97), but not in the whole blood samples (n = 276) or spleen (n = 51). An ELISA determined that 44.2% of serum samples (122/276) were antibody-positive for Leptospira. The identification of two pathogenic Leptospira species from environmental samples and the high sero-positivity in feral pigs suggests potential pathogen shedding from feral pigs to environments, and to humans and domestic animals. In order to better understand the risk to human health associated with feral swine presence, further studies are warranted to explore the interrelationship between Leptospira spp. shedding in the urine of feral pigs and bacterial culture to explore pathogenicity. Multi-locus sequencing typing (MLST) and microscopic agglutination tests (MAT) should be performed in future studies to make a definite determination of pathogenic Leptospira in feral pigs in Alabama.

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