title: A cross sectional study of leptospirosis and fetal death in Yucatan, Mexico.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease affecting mainly to low income human population. Acute leptospiral infection during pregnancy has been associated with spontaneous abortion and fetal death during the first trimester and the abortion may occur as consequence of systemic failure.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the frequency of Leptospira interrogans infection in women with spontaneous abortion in the state of Yucatan, Mexico.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross sectional study on women with spontaneous abortion was conducted. Serum samples were tested for Leptospirosis by the microaglutination test, to estimate the frequency of the infecting serovar. The indirect ELISA IgM was used to detect recent infection by L. interrogans. DNA was extracted from paraffin-embedded tissue of placenta for PCR detection of L. interrogans.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall frequency of infection with L. interrogans in the 81 women with abortion was 13.6%. Five of the 12 serovars evaluated were found and included. Two of the 11 women with abortion and positive to microaglutination test were also positive to the ELISA IgM test. None samples were positive for PCR Leptospira diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  two women could be associated with spontaneous abortion due to leptospirosis, because they showed antibodies against L. interrogans in the microaglutination test and ELISA IgM assays. Differences between regions were found with respect to the prevalences of lesptospirosis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Parasitarias II. Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán. Merida, Yucatán México.
authors.forename: María Fidelia
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Cárdenas-Marrufo
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Parasitarias II. Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán. Merida, Yucatán México.
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vado-Solis
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Parasitarias II. Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán. Merida, Yucatán México.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pérez-Osorio
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Parasitarias II. Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán. Merida, Yucatán México.
authors.forename: Gaspar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Peniche-Lara
authors.affiliation: Campus Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias. Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Merida Yucatán, México.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Segura-Correa
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000469:parasitology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood*; D007921:Leptospira interrogans / Q000276:immunology*; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D007075:Immunoglobulin M
keywords: Leptospira; Leptospirosis; abortion spontaneous