title: Prevalence of leptospirosis in Belize.
abstract: In a search for leptospirosis in Belize, at least one current case was diagnosed among 11 febrile hospital patients examined in a 2-week period in mid-1984. Sera from 440 survey subjects in 6 schools, 4 urban communities and 9 rural communities were examined for leptospiral antibodies by the microscopic agglutination test. 20 of 174 (11.5%) school pupils, 19 of 88 (22%) urban community subjects and 66/178 (37%) rural community subjects were positive at titres greater than or equal to 1:50, and 7.5%, 17% and 26%, respectively, were positive at greater than or equal to 1:100. Among all groups of survey subjects, serological reactions to antigens in the Australis serogroup predominated. Up to 81% of 155 sera from cattle in various areas of Belize were positive at titres greater than or equal to 1:100. Serological reactions to serogroup Sejroe predominated (43%), followed by Pyrogenes (16%) and Australis (15%). 20 of 71 (28%) pig sera were positive at greater than or equal to 1:100, predominantly to serovars in the Australis serogroup (51%). Of 162 sheep or goat sera examined, 65 (40%) were positive at greater than or equal to 1:100, mainly to serogroup Autumnalis (25%), followed by Australis (15%).
authors.affiliation: MRC/Barbados Government Leptospira Laboratory, Bridgetown.
authors.forename: C O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Everard
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cawich
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Gamble
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Everard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001531:Belize; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D004285:Dogs; D006041:Goats; D006801:Humans; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000662:veterinary; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology