title: Evidence of Leptospira sp. infection among a diversity of African wildlife species: beyond the usual suspects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Leptospirosis is an important public health threat in sub-Saharan Africa but little is known regarding the host spectrum and epidemiology of this zoonotic disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  289 kidney samples from 69 wild, domestic and peri-domestic species in northern Botswana were screened for the presence of Leptospira sp.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Renal carriage was widespread among mammals (31.4%, n=11/35 species), birds (27.8%, n=5/18 species) and reptiles (6.3%, n=1/16 species), including several novel species.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Leptospiral surveillance is often limited to the usual suspects: rodents and domestic animals. We identify Leptospira in a wide range of African wildlife, suggesting that leptospirosis transmission and persistence may also involve hosts not normally considered.
authors: Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061 USA Centre for African Resources: Animals, Communities and Land use (CARACAL), Kasane, Botswana.
authors: Sarah E
authors: SE
authors: Jobbins
authors: Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061 USA Centre for African Resources: Animals, Communities and Land use (CARACAL), Kasane, Botswana kathyalx@vt.edu.
authors: Kathleen A
authors: KA
authors: Alexander
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D000835:Animals, Wild; D044822:Biodiversity; D001717:Birds; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D058507:Host Specificity; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000382:microbiology*; D007919:Leptospira / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D008322:Mammals; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D011634:Public Health; D012377:Rodentia; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D015047:Zoonoses
keywords: Africa; Botswana; Disease reservoirs; Leptospirosis; Zoonotic disease