title: [Epidemiological surveillance of human leptospirosis in Colombia, 2007-2011].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Leptospirosis is a reemerging zoonosis of worldwide distribution, caused by a spirochete of the genus Leptospira . In Colombia, the disease represents a major public health issue, and there has been an increased number of cases in humans and animals.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To characterize epidemiologically cases of leptospirosis reported to the National Public Health Surveillance in Colombia, and to make an approach to determine the serogroups circulating in the country.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective observational study was designed using a process of monitoring records, which included cases reported by the software SIVIGILA and samples sent to the Microbiology Group of the National Laboratory Network (GM-RNL), for the period 2007-2011. We registered socio-demographic variables and analyzed 17 serogroups of Leptospira .
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 11,786 records were processed, with 4,621 confirmed cases of leptospirosis. The geographic places which reported the highest number of cases were: Valle del Cauca, Antioquia, Risaralda, Atlántico and Barranquilla, and those with the highest incidence were Guaviare, Risaralda, San Andres, Santa Marta and Barranquilla. The largest number of cases was from urban areas, and more commonly in men (77%), students (19.4%) and housewives (13.6%). A median age of 29 years (IQR 45-19) was observed. There was evidence of 17 serogroups circulating in the country, from which the three most frequent were Australis (24.89%), Hebdomadis (9.33%) and Sejroe (8.0%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Colombia, the reported cases have improved as well as their final classification, allowing us to determine the Australis serogroup as the most widely circulating one.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Microbiología, Subdirección Red Nacional de Laboratorios, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia.
authors.forename: Solmara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bello
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Zoonosis, Subdirección de Vigilancia y Control en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia.
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Zoonosis, Subdirección de Vigilancia y Control en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paredes
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Enfermedades no Transmisibles, Subdirección de Vigilancia y Control en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia.
authors.forename: Fredy
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mendivelso
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Zoonosis, Subdirección de Vigilancia y Control en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Walteros
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Microbiología, Subdirección Red Nacional de Laboratorios, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia.
authors.forename: Flor
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Microbiología, Subdirección Red Nacional de Laboratorios, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia.
authors.forename: María Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Realpe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007919:Leptospira / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009790:Occupations; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D065288:Serogroup; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult