title: Leptospira spp. in rodents and shrews in Germany.
abstract: Leptospirosis is an acute, febrile disease occurring in humans and animals worldwide. Leptospira spp. are usually transmitted through direct or indirect contact with the urine of infected reservoir animals. Among wildlife species, rodents act as the most important reservoir for both human and animal infection. To gain a better understanding of the occurrence and distribution of pathogenic leptospires in rodent and shrew populations in Germany, kidney specimens of 2973 animals from 11 of the 16 federal states were examined by PCR. Rodent species captured included five murine species (family Muridae), six vole species (family Cricetidae) and six shrew species (family Soricidae). The most abundantly trapped animals were representatives of the rodent species Apodemus flavicollis, Clethrionomys glareolus and Microtus agrestis. Leptospiral DNA was amplified in 10% of all animals originating from eight of the 11 federal states. The highest carrier rate was found in Microtus spp. (13%), followed by Apodemus spp. (11%) and Clethrionomys spp. (6%). The most common Leptospira genomospecies determined by duplex PCR was L. kirschneri, followed by L. interrogans and L. borgpetersenii; all identified by single locus sequence typing (SLST). Representatives of the shrew species were also carriers of Leptospira spp. In 20% of Crocidura spp. and 6% of the Sorex spp. leptospiral DNA was detected. Here, only the pathogenic genomospecies L. kirschneri was identified.
authors: Department for Biological Safety, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin 12277, Germany. anne.mayer-scholl@bfr.bund.de.
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Mayer-Scholl
authors: Department for Biological Safety, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin 12277, Germany. Jens-Andre.Hammerl@bfr.bund.de.
authors: Jens Andre
authors: JA
authors: Hammerl
authors: Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald-Insel Riems 17493, Germany. sabrina05schmidt@gmail.com.
authors: Sabrina
authors: S
authors: Schmidt
authors: Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald-Insel Riems 17493, Germany. Rainer.Ulrich@fli.bund.de.
authors: Rainer G
authors: RG
authors: Ulrich
authors: Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, Veterinary Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig 04103, Germany. pfeffer@vetmed.uni-leipzig.de.
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Pfeffer
authors: Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, Veterinary Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig 04103, Germany. D_woll@gmx.net.
authors: Dietlinde
authors: D
authors: Woll
authors: Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich 80937, Germany. holger1scholz@bundeswehr.org.
authors: Holger C
authors: HC
authors: Scholz
authors: Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich 80937, Germany. AstridThomas@bundeswehr.org.
authors: Astrid
authors: A
authors: Thomas
authors: Department for Biological Safety, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin 12277, Germany. Karsten.Noeckler@bfr.bund.de.
authors: Karsten
authors: K
authors: Nöckler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D007919:Leptospira / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D012377:Rodentia; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D012788:Shrews
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C406589:LipL32 protein, Leptospira; D008074:Lipoproteins