title: Survey of leptospirosis of small mammals in Thailand.
abstract: During 1999-2000, kidney tissues of approximately 15% of 1310 rodents trapped from northeastern provinces of Thailand were tested for the presence of leptospires. Our direct immunofluorescent assay (DFA) for detection of leptospires showed 100% sensitivity and 94% specificity with the culture data. Both methods identified R. norvegicus as the highest source of infection. Among isolated Leptospira, 137 were serotyped by cross agglutinin absorption and/or a microscopic agglutination, and gave some variations and similarities at the serovar level to the DFA results. DFA data demonstrated over half of the positive animals were infected with several serovars of Leptospira interrogans. A subsequent DFA study in Bangkok in 2002 revealed leptospiral infection in 33% of 42 rats and shrews. The most common infecting serovars were Autumnalis and Canicola identified in rural and urban animals, respectively. This finding suggests that wild small mammals may act as important sources of pathogenic leptospires and warrant active surveillance to understand the epidemiology of transmission and control of carrier animals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, 272 Rama VI Road, Ratchathewee, Bangkok 10400, Thailand. scgdu@mahidol.ac.th
authors.forename: Galayanee
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Doungchawee
authors.forename: Duangporn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Phulsuksombat
authors.forename: Pimjai
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Naigowit
authors.forename: Yuvaluk
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Khoaprasert
authors.forename: Noppadon
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sangjun
authors.forename: Suraphol
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kongtim
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Smythe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D019085:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct; D006306:Health Surveys; D007919:Leptospira / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D012377:Rodentia; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012703:Serotyping; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial