title: Risk of infection and associated influenza-like disease among abattoir workers due to two Leptospira species.
abstract: The aims of this study were to determine the annual incidence of infection with Leptospira interrogans serovar Pomona and/or Leptospira borgpetersenii serovar Hardjo and its association with influenza-like illness (ILI) in meat workers in New Zealand. Sera were collected twice, 50-61 weeks apart, from 592 workers at eight abattoirs slaughtering sheep (n = 4), cattle (n = 2) and deer (n = 2), and tested by the microscopic agglutination test for Hardjo and Pomona. Forty-nine (8·3%) participants either seroconverted or had at least a twofold increased serological titre against either serovar. The worker infection risk was higher in sheep abattoirs (11·9%) than in abattoirs processing deer (0%) or cattle (1·2%) (P < 0·01). The annualized risk of mild (ILI) or severe clinical disease attributable to the two Leptospira serovars was 2·7%. This study has demonstrated that meat workers are at substantial risk of infection and clinical disease, suggesting further investigation of infection sources and preventive measures are warranted.
authors.affiliation: EpiCentre,Institute of Veterinary,Animal and Biomedical Sciences,Massey University,Palmerston North,New Zealand.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dreyfus
authors.affiliation: EpiCentre,Institute of Veterinary,Animal and Biomedical Sciences,Massey University,Palmerston North,New Zealand.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Heuer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary,Animal and Biomedical Sciences,Massey University,Palmerston North,New Zealand.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary,Animal and Biomedical Sciences,Massey University,Palmerston North,New Zealand.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Collins-Emerson
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health,University of Otago,Wellington,New Zealand.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary,Animal and Biomedical Sciences,Massey University,Palmerston North,New Zealand.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Benschop
mesh_terms: D000003:Abattoirs; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D002417:Cattle; D003670:Deer; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000473:pathology; D007919:Leptospira / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial
keywords: Abattoir worker; Hardjo; Pomona; clinical illness; incidence; infection; leptospirosis; population attributable risk; risk