title: Detection of leptospiral antibodies by microscopic agglutination test in north-east of Iran.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To detect leptospiral antibodies by microscopic agglutination test (MAT) in north-east of Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was conducted to evaluate prevalence of human leptospiral infections by MAT, using six current reference strains of Leptospira interrogans in north-east of Iran. A total of 285 serum samples were collected from three north-east provinces of Iran, from December, 2009 to June, 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Antibodies were detected at least against one serovar of Leptospira interrogans in 45 sera (15.79 %) among 285 samples at a dilution 1:100 or greater. Positive titers against more than one serovar were detected in 24 sera of the positive samples. Therefore, there were 75 positive reactions against different serovar of Leptospira interrogans. Positive titers were recorded against serovar icterohaemorrhagiae (31 samples), hardjo (26 samples), grippotyphosa (7 samples), pomona (5 samples), canicola (4 samples) and ballum (2 sample).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In present study the most prevalent (Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae) and the least prevalent (Leptospira ballum) serovar are different from previous studies. Maybe, species and prevalence of serovars change during the time in one area and between regions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Sakhaee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ehsanollah
authors.forename: Reza Abdollah Pour
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Gholam
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D007919:Leptospira / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D007921:Leptospira interrogans / Q000276:immunology; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D015995:Prevalence; D065288:Serogroup
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial
keywords: Human; Iran; Leptospiral infection; Leptospirosis; Microscopic agglutination test; Prevalence; Serovar