title: Widespread detection of antibodies to Leptospira in feral swine in the United States.
abstract: As feral swine continue to expand their geographical range and distribution across the United States, their involvement in crop damage, livestock predation, and pathogen transmission is likely to increase. Despite the relatively recent discovery of feral swine involvement in the aetiology of a variety of pathogens, their propensity to transmit and carry a wide variety of pathogens is disconcerting. We examined sera from 2055 feral swine for antibody presence to six serovars of Leptospira that can also infect humans, livestock or domestic animals. About 13% of all samples tested positive for at least one serovar, suggesting that Leptospira infection is common in feral swine. Further studies to identify the proportion of actively infected animals are needed to more fully understand the risk they pose.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture,Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services,Fort Collins,CO,USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.affiliation: Colorado State University,Department of Microbiology,Immunology and Pathology,College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences,Fort Collins,CO,USA.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Pabilonia
authors.affiliation: Colorado State University,Department of Microbiology,Immunology and Pathology,College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences,Fort Collins,CO,USA.
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture,Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services,National Wildlife Research Center,Fort Collins,CO,USA.
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Bevins
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture,Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services,Groveport,OH,USA.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Hicks
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture,Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services,Manhattan,KS,USA.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kloft
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture,Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services,National Wildlife Research Center,Fort Collins,CO,USA.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Deliberto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D007919:Leptospira / Q000276:immunology*; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial
keywords: Disease; Leptospira; Sus scrofa; feral swine; leptospirosis