title: Assessment of exposure to Leptospira serovars in veterinary staff and dog owners in contact with infected dogs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess patterns of seroreactivity to Leptospira serovars in veterinary professional staff and dog owners exposed to dogs with acute leptospirosis and to contrast these patterns in people with those observed in dogs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human subjects consisted of 91 people (50 veterinarians, 19 technical staff, 9 administrative personnel, and 13 dog owners) exposed to dogs with leptospirosis. Canine subjects consisted of 52 dogs with naturally occurring leptospirosis admitted to the University of Bern Vetsuisse Faculty Small Animal Clinic in 2007 and 2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  People were tested for seroreactivity to regionally prevalent Leptospira serovars by use of a complement fixation test. A questionnaire designed to identify risk factors associated with seropositivity was used to collect demographic information from each study participant. Dogs were tested for seroreactivity to Leptospira serovars by use of a microscopic agglutination test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On the basis of microscopic agglutination test results, infected dogs were seropositive for antibodies against Leptospira serovars as follows (in descending order): Bratislava (43/52 [83%]), Australis (43/52 [83%]), Grippotyphosa (18/52 [35%]), Pomona (12/52 [23%]), Autumnalis (6/52 [12%]), Icterohemorrhagiae (4/52 [8%]), Tarassovi (2/52 [4%]), and Canicola (1/52 [2%]). All 91 people were seronegative for antibodies against Leptospira serovars. Therefore, statistical evaluation of risk factors and comparison of patterns of seroreactivity to Leptospira serovars between human and canine subjects were limited to theoretical risks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Seroreactivity to Leptospira serovars among veterinary staff adhering to standard hygiene protocols and pet owners exposed to dogs with acute leptospirosis was uncommon.
authors.affiliation: Small Animal Clinic, Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, CH-3027 Bern, Switzerland. reti77@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Reto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barmettler
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schweighauser
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bigler
authors.forename: Amy M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Grooters
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Francey
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D004285:Dogs; D006762:Hospitals, Animal; D006801:Humans; D007919:Leptospira / Q000145:classification*; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D012307:Risk Factors; D018634:Veterinarians; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial