Human leptospirosis cases and the prevalence of rats harbouring Leptospira interrogans in urban areas of Tokyo, Japan.
Thirteen patients with leptospirosis were identified, as confirmed by laboratory analysis during the last 5 years in our laboratory, who came from urban areas of Tokyo, Japan. All of the patients came into contact with rats before the onset of illness. Seventeen per cent of Norway rats captured in the inner cities of Tokyo carried leptospires in their kidneys. Most of these rat isolates were Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni/Icterohaemorrhagiae. Antibodies against these serovars and their DNA were detected in the patients. This suggests that rats are important reservoirs of leptospirosis, and that rat-borne leptospires occur in urban areas of Tokyo.
Koizumi
Nobuo
N
Department of Bacteriology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.
Muto
Maki
M
Department of Bacteriology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.
Tanikawa
Tsutomu
T
Ikari Corporation, 579 Chibadera, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-0844, Japan.
Mizutani
Hiroshi
H
Tokyo Metropolitan Animal Care and Consultation Center, 3-2-1 Jonanjima, Ohta-ku, Tokyo 143-0002, Japan.
Sohmura
Yoshiko
Y
Tokyo Metropolitan Animal Care and Consultation Center, 3-2-1 Jonanjima, Ohta-ku, Tokyo 143-0002, Japan.
Hayashi
Eiji
E
Section of Environmental Parasitology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan.
Akao
Nobuaki
N
Section of Environmental Parasitology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan.
Hoshino
Mayu
M
Department of Bacteriology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.
Kawabata
Hiroki
H
Department of Bacteriology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.
Watanabe
Haruo
H
National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.
D000818:Animals; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D006801:Humans; D007921:Leptospira interrogans / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015995:Prevalence; D051381:Rats / Q000382:microbiology*; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D014041:Tokyo / Q000453:epidemiology; D014504:Urban Health; D015047:Zoonoses