title: Molecular detection of leptospiral DNA in environmental water on St. Kitts.
abstract: Leptospirosis is an important waterborne zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic Leptospira. The pathogen is maintained in a population due to chronic colonization and shedding from renal tubules of domestic and wild animals. Humans and other animals become infected when they come in contact with urine from infected animals, either directly or through urine-contaminated surface water. In this study, we screened environmental water on the island of St. Kitts by using a TaqMan based real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) targeting a pathogen specific leptospiral gene, lipl32. Our results indicate that around one-fifth of tested water sources have detectable leptospiral DNA.
authors.affiliation: Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies. JRawlins@rossvet.edu.kn.
authors.forename: Julienne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rawlins
authors.affiliation: Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies. alexportanova@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Portanova
authors.affiliation: Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies. IlanaZuckerman@students.rossu.edu.
authors.forename: Ilana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zuckerman
authors.affiliation: Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies. adloftis@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Loftis
authors.affiliation: International Research Institute for Climate and Society, The Earth Institute, Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964, USA. pceccato@iri.columbia.edu.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ceccato
authors.affiliation: Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies. awillingham@rossvet.edu.kn.
authors.forename: Arve Lee
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Willingham
authors.affiliation: Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies. averma@rossvet.edu.kn.
authors.forename: Ashutosh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verma
mesh_terms: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000382:microbiology*; D007919:Leptospira / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015995:Prevalence; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019437:Saint Kitts and Nevis
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; C406589:LipL32 protein, Leptospira; D008074:Lipoproteins
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