title: Experimental Hamster Infection with a Strain of Leptospira borgpetersenii Ballum Isolated from a Reservoir Mouse in New Caledonia.
abstract: Leptospirosis is a neglected zoonosis caused by pathogenic Leptospira. In this study, we characterized the virulence of isolate B3-13S obtained from a wild mouse (Mus musculus) captured in New Caledonia, subsequently identified as a bacterium belonging to the L. borgpetersenii serogroup Ballum. Hamsters were infected with an intraperitoneal injection of 2 × 10(8) bacteria, resulting in severe histopathological organ damages consistent with tissue lesions previously observed with other strains. Hamsters were also injected with 1 × 10(8) or 5 × 10(7) bacteria and animals that recovered showed renal carriage of leptospires in concentrations similar to the bacterial load quantified in mouse kidneys, with urinary shedding of bacteria up to 4 weeks postinfection. The serogroup Ballum is increasingly reported in human leptospirosis, and these results highlight the use of the B3-13S isolate for the development of models resulting in either severe acute or chronic forms of the infection, allowing for better characterization of its pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur International Network, Leptospirosis Research and Expertise Unit, Institut Pasteur de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Noumea, New Caledonia; Anatomic Pathology Laboratory, Territorial Hospital Centre of New Caledonia, Noumea, New Caledonia mmatsui@pasteur.nc cgoarant@pasteur.nc.
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur International Network, Leptospirosis Research and Expertise Unit, Institut Pasteur de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Noumea, New Caledonia; Anatomic Pathology Laboratory, Territorial Hospital Centre of New Caledonia, Noumea, New Caledonia.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Roche
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur International Network, Leptospirosis Research and Expertise Unit, Institut Pasteur de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Noumea, New Caledonia; Anatomic Pathology Laboratory, Territorial Hospital Centre of New Caledonia, Noumea, New Caledonia.
authors.forename: Marie-Estelle
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Soupé-Gilbert
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur International Network, Leptospirosis Research and Expertise Unit, Institut Pasteur de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Noumea, New Caledonia; Anatomic Pathology Laboratory, Territorial Hospital Centre of New Caledonia, Noumea, New Caledonia.
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roudier
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur International Network, Leptospirosis Research and Expertise Unit, Institut Pasteur de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Noumea, New Caledonia; Anatomic Pathology Laboratory, Territorial Hospital Centre of New Caledonia, Noumea, New Caledonia.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Moniquet
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur International Network, Leptospirosis Research and Expertise Unit, Institut Pasteur de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Noumea, New Caledonia; Anatomic Pathology Laboratory, Territorial Hospital Centre of New Caledonia, Noumea, New Caledonia mmatsui@pasteur.nc cgoarant@pasteur.nc.
authors.forename: Cyrille
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Goarant
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000382:microbiology; D007919:Leptospira / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D008647:Mesocricetus; D051379:Mice; D009510:New Caledonia; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D014774:Virulence; D015047:Zoonoses