title: Leptospira infection prevalence in small mammal host populations on three Hawaiian islands.
abstract: We describe the geographic distribution and variation in host-pathogen specificity for Leptospira-infected small mammals collected concurrently from three Hawaiian Islands over a period of 14 years: 1990-2003. Four serogroups (Icterohaemorrhagiae, Ballum, Sejroe, and Australis) were identified from the 15,171 animals tested. Serogroup prevalence differed across host species and islands (P < 0.0001 for each), but not across years. The host associations and biogeographic patterns of Leptospira in Hawaii indicate a pathogen community shaped by ecological factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. mayee@hawaii.edu
authors.forename: Mayee
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Alan R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: Dongmei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bruce A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Wilcox
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006254:Hawaii / Q000453:epidemiology; D007919:Leptospira / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D008322:Mammals / Q000382:microbiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial