title: [Leptospirosis seroprevalence and associated features in rice farmers of tropical region of Peru].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the seroprevalence of leptospirosis in rice farmers of the Alto Mayo Valley in the Peruvian region of San Martín and to identify factors associated with infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted between October and November of 2010 on a sample of 254 farmers from eleven irrigation committees in the Alto Mayo Valley. A blood sample was collected as well as sociodemographic, household and labor characteristics in the form of a questionnaire. The presence of antibodies against leptospira was determined using the microscopic agglutination test and the IgM ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The seroprevalence by agglutination was 64.6% (95% CI: 58.6-70.6). The IgM ELISA test was reactive in 15,0% (95% CI: 10.5-19.5). The most frequent serovar were Icterohaemorrhagiae, Autumnalis, Australis, Panama and Grippotyphosa. Independently associated factors were handling rodents (adjusted OR (aOR): 7.9; 95% CI: 1.6-37.9), working barefoot (aOR: 2.9; 95% CI: 1.2-6.8) and male sex (aOR: 4.5; 95% CI: 1.3-15.3).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Alto Mayo Valley is a hyperendemic for leptospirosis. The most important factors were associated with working barefoot and handling rodents in crop fields. Consequently, it is recommended to implement interventions that affect these two factors in order to reduce the risk of infection in rice farmers.
authors.affiliation: Sección Epidemiología, Instituto de Medicina Tropical Daniel A. Carrión, la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú
authors.forename: Jorge O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Alarcón-Villaverde
authors.affiliation: Sección Epidemiología, Instituto de Medicina Tropical Daniel A. Carrión, la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Romani-Romani
authors.affiliation: Sección Epidemiología, Instituto de Medicina Tropical Daniel A. Carrión, la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú
authors.forename: Romina A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Tejada
authors.affiliation: Sección Epidemiología, Instituto de Medicina Tropical Daniel A. Carrión, la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wong-Chero
authors.affiliation: Oficina General de Investigación y Transferencia Tecnológica, Instituto Nacional de Salud.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Céspedes-Zambrano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007919:Leptospira / Q000276:immunology; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012275:Oryza; D010568:Peru / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014329:Tropical Climate
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial