Serologic and molecular studies of Leptospira and leptospirosis among rats in the Philippines.
Rats are known to be the most important reservoirs and transmission sources of leptospirosis. However, the status of leptospirosis in the Philippines regarding reservoirs and transmission remains unknown. A survey was conducted in Metro Manila and Laguna that analyzed samples obtained from 106 rats. Using the microscopic agglutination test, we found that 92% of rat serum samples were positive for anti-Leptospira antibodies; the most common infecting serovars were Manilae, Hebdomadis, and Losbanos. On the basis of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and gyrase B gene sequence analyses, four groups of rat kidney isolates were found: L. interrogans serovar Manilae, serovar Losbanos, and serogroup Grippotyphosa, and L. borgpetersenii serogroup Javanica. Most isolates were lethal after experimental infection of golden Syrian hamsters. Results showed that these four Leptospira serovars and serogroups are circulating among rats, and that these animals may be one of the possible transmission sources of leptospirosis in the Philippines.
Villanueva
Sharon Y A M
SY
Department of Bacteriology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan. svillan@bact.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp
Ezoe
Hirokazu
H
Baterna
Rubelia A
RA
Yanagihara
Yasutake
Y
Muto
Maki
M
Koizumi
Nobuo
N
Fukui
Takashi
T
Okamoto
Yoshihiro
Y
Masuzawa
Toshiyuki
T
Cavinta
Lolita L
LL
Gloriani
Nina G
NG
Yoshida
Shin-ichi
S
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D006224:Cricetinae; D007919:Leptospira / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008647:Mesocricetus; D010679:Philippines / Q000453:epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D051381:Rats; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D015047:Zoonoses
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial