title: Serological survey of leptospirosis in livestock animals in the Lesser Antilles.
abstract: A serological survey was performed of 1788 cattle, goats and sheep on 13 islands in the Lesser Antilles. Sera were tested by microscopic agglutination (MAT) using a panel of 22 live antigens. Evidence of past exposure, at a titer of > or = 100, was found in 101 animals (5.6%). Antibodies were more common in cattle and goats (7.2% in each) than in sheep (1.7%). Seroprevalence was highest in cattle in Martinique (20%) and in goats in St. Vincent (23%). The predominant serogroups were Sejroe (largely confined to cattle in Martinique), Autumnalis, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Grippotyphosa, and Cynopteri. Eleven cattle from Martinique and 2 sheep with titers of > or = 800 showed evidence of recent infection.
authors.affiliation: University of the West Indies, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Barbados.
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Levett
authors.forename: C U
authors.initials: CU
authors.lastname: Whittington
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Camus
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017691:Caribbean Region / Q000453:epidemiology; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases; D005843:Geography; D015511:Goat Diseases; D006041:Goats; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015995:Prevalence; D012698:Serologic Tests; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases; D014900:West Indies / Q000453:epidemiology