Molecular and serological characterization of the first Leptospira santarosai strain isolated from a dog.
Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease of global importance caused by pathogenic Leptospira species. Dogs can become asymptomatically infected, acting like reservoir hosts for pathogenic Leptospira, notably Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola. Identification of such individuals and characterization of leptospires involved in chronic infections may unravel the role of dogs in the epidemiology of particular leptospiral strains. The aim of the present work was to describe the first Leptospira santarosai strain isolated from a dog. The dog was kept in a public shelter in São Paulo city, Brazil, and presented asymptomatic urinary shedding detected by PCR. Prospective evaluation was performed to fully characterize its chronic carrier state. The dog did not present anti-Leptospira titles or clinical/laboratorial abnormalities during the evaluations; nevertheless long-term urinary shedding was confirmed by PCR and leptospires were recovered from two occasions. The isolated strain was molecularly characterized by partial 16S rRNA and secY gene sequencing and MLST analysis. Serogroup identification was performed using polyclonal antibodies. The strain was identified as Leptospira santarosai, serogroup Sejroe. This is the first evidence in the literature of the isolation of L. santarosai in dogs. Our findings show that dogs can persistently harbor leptospires other than L. interrogans.
Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua Professor Orlando Marques Paiva, 87, Butantã, CEP: 05508-270 São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: brunomiotto@hotmail.com.
Bruno Alonso
BA
Miotto
Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo-Rua Professor Orlando Marques Paiva, 87, Butantã, CEP: 05508-270 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Luisa Zanolli
LZ
Moreno
Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo-Rua Professor Orlando Marques Paiva, 87, Butantã, CEP: 05508-270 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Aline Gil Alves
AGA
Guilloux
Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo-Rua Professor Orlando Marques Paiva, 87, Butantã, CEP: 05508-270 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Gisele Oliveira de
GO
Sousa
Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rua Professor Hernani Melo, 101, São Domingos, CEP: 24210-130 Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
Ana Paula
AP
Loureiro
Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo-Rua Professor Orlando Marques Paiva, 87, Butantã, CEP: 05508-270 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Andrea Micke
AM
Moreno
Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rua Professor Hernani Melo, 101, São Domingos, CEP: 24210-130 Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
Walter
W
Lilenbaum
Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo-Rua Professor Orlando Marques Paiva, 87, Butantã, CEP: 05508-270 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Silvio Arruda
SA
Vasconcellos
Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo-Rua Professor Orlando Marques Paiva, 87, Butantã, CEP: 05508-270 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Marcos Bryan
MB
Heinemann
Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua Professor Orlando Marques Paiva, 87, Butantã, CEP: 05508-270 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Mitika Kuribayashi
MK
Hagiwara
D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D058893:DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000382:microbiology*; D004285:Dogs / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007919:Leptospira / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000097:blood / Q000662:veterinary*; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D065288:Serogroup
D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
Canine; Dog; Leptospira; Leptospira santarosai; Leptospirosis; Sejroe