Displaying publications 61 - 80 of 181 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Fulltext Fatal co-infection--melioidosis and leptospirosis
    Hin HS, Ramalingam R, Chunn KY, Ahmad N, Ab Rahman J, Mohamed MS
    Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2012 Oct;87(4):737-40.
    PMID: 22826499 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2012.12-0165
    Co-infection of melioidosis and leptospirosis is uncommon. We report here four such cases, confirmed by blood culture for melioidosis and blood polymerase-chain reaction for leptospirosis, which occurred among rescuers involved in a search and rescue operation for a young man who was suspected to have drowned in Lubuk Yu, a recreational forest in Pahang, Malaysia. Despite treatment, three of the patients died from the co-infection.
    Matched MeSH terms: Leptospirosis/complications*; Leptospirosis/microbiology
  2. Fulltext Febrile illness in Malaysia--an analysis of 1,629 hospitalized patients
    Brown GW, Shirai A, Jegathesan M, Burke DS, Twartz JC, Saunders JP, et al.
    Am J Trop Med Hyg, 1984 Mar;33(2):311-5.
    PMID: 6324601
    We studied 1,629 febrile patients from a rural area of Malaysia, and made a laboratory diagnosis in 1,025 (62.9%) cases. Scrub typhus was the most frequent diagnosis (19.3% of all illnesses) followed by typhoid and paratyphoid (7.4%); flavivirus infection (7.0%); leptospirosis (6.8%); and malaria (6.2%). The hospital mortality was very low (0.5% of all febrile patients). The high prevalence of scrub typhus in oil palm laborers (46.8% of all febrile illnesses in that group) was confirmed. In rural Malaysia, therapy with chloramphenicol or a tetracycline would be appropriate for undiagnosed patients in whom malaria has been excluded. Failure to respond to tetracycline within 48 hours would usually suggest a diagnosis of typhoid, and indicate the need for a change in therapy.
    Matched MeSH terms: Leptospirosis/diagnosis
  3. Fulltext Seroprevalence of Anti-Leptospira IgG and IgM Antibodies and Risk Assessment of Leptospirosis among Urban Poor Communities in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
    Sahimin N, Sharif SA, Mohd Hanapi IR, Nai Chuan S, Lewis JW, Douadi B, et al.
    Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2019 12;101(6):1265-1271.
    PMID: 31628737 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0003
    Leptospirosis is a zoonotic bacterial disease caused by pathogenic species of the genus Leptospira. Disease incidence is known to be attributed to environmental and social conditions which promote the spread of reservoir hosts, primarily rodents. A well-being program was conducted to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors associated with leptospirosis in urban poor communities occupying low-cost flat accommodation and squatter settlements in the vicinity of Wilayah Persekutuan, Kuala Lumpur. Blood samples from a total of 532 volunteers were screened for the detection of IgG and IgM antibodies against leptospirosis using ELISA. Demographic data were collected for each participant through a questionnaire survey before blood collection. The overall seroprevalence was low (12.6%, n = 67/532; 95% CI: 9.9-15.7%), with 8.1% (n = 43/532) being seropositive for anti-Leptospira IgG, indicating previous infection, and 4.9% (n = 26/532) for anti-Leptospira IgM, indicating current infection. Two significant factors such as host age (P ≤ 0.01) and knowledge of disease transmission (P = 0.017) significantly influenced the presence of anti-Leptospira IgM, whereas the detection of anti-IgG indicated the presence of clean drinking water sources (P = 0.043). Despite the low prevalence, the transmission of leptospirosis does occur among urban poor communities, suggesting the need for undertaking public awareness programs.
    Matched MeSH terms: Leptospirosis/immunology*; Leptospirosis/epidemiology*; Leptospirosis/transmission
  4. Case Report: Fatal Human Leptospirosis Caused by Leptospira interrogans Genotype ST149
    Rao M, Amran F, Kamaruzaman AA, Hakim Esa HA, Abdul Hameed A, Mohamed Shabery NA
    Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2021 01;104(1):216-218.
    PMID: 33289472 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0267
    Leptospirosis is an important zoonotic disease with worldwide distribution and nonspecific clinical manifestation. We report a case of fatal leptospirosis in a previously healthy woman with a causative agent. A young adult Indian woman was brought in dead to the forensic department. Ten days before, she developed fever, dizziness with headache, myalgia, diarrhea, and vomiting. Routine inquest and autopsy were performed on the deceased, revealing hemorrhagic lungs with extensive intra-alveolar hemorrhages, pale liver with dissociation and separation of hepatocyte plates, and edematous brain with histiocyte and lymphocyte infiltration in the parenchyma and meninges. Heart tissue depicts myocarditis and pericarditis inflammatory changes. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was turbid in appearance with mildly elevated leukocytes, predominantly lymphocytes. Real-time PCR targeting lipL32 gene of pathogenic Leptospira was detected in the blood, CSF, brain, kidney, heart, and liver. The genetic profile of the causative agent was ST149 (multi-locus sequence typing Scheme 3). This study illustrates the usefulness of Leptospira PCR assay in postmortem diagnosis and addresses the need for further surveillance to identify the epidemiological link of the disease.
    Matched MeSH terms: Leptospirosis/microbiology*; Leptospirosis/pathology*
  5. Leptospirosis in Malaya. I. Sporadic cases among military and civilian personnel
    MCCRUMB FR, STOCKARD JL, ROBINSON CR, TURNER LH, LEVIS DG, MAISEY CW, et al.
    Am J Trop Med Hyg, 1957 Mar;6(2):238-56.
    PMID: 13424900
    Matched MeSH terms: Leptospirosis/epidemiology*
  6. Leptospirosis in Malaya. II. Antigenic analysis of 110 leptospiral strains and other serologic studies
    ALEXANDER AD, EVANS LB, TOUSSAINT AJ, MARCHWICKI RH, McCRUMB FR
    Am J Trop Med Hyg, 1957 Sep;6(5):871-89.
    PMID: 13470208
    Matched MeSH terms: Leptospirosis/immunology*
  7. Fulltext Leptospirosis Outbreak After the 2014 Major Flooding Event in Kelantan, Malaysia: A Spatial-Temporal Analysis
    Mohd Radi MF, Hashim JH, Jaafar MH, Hod R, Ahmad N, Mohammed Nawi A, et al.
    Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2018 05;98(5):1281-1295.
    PMID: 29532771 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.16-0922
    Severe floods increase the risk of leptospirosis outbreaks in endemic areas. This study determines the spatial-temporal distribution of leptospirosis in relation to environmental factors after a major flooding event in Kelantan, Malaysia. We conducted an observational ecological study involving incident leptospirosis cases, from the 3 months before, during, and three months after flood, in reference to the severe 2014 Kelantan flooding event. Geographical information system was used to determine the spatial distribution while climatic factors that influenced the cases were also analyzed. A total of 1,229 leptospirosis cases were notified within the three study periods where incidence doubled in the postflood period. Twelve of 66 subdistricts recorded incidence rates of over 100 per 100,000 population in the postflood period, in comparison with only four subdistricts in the preflooding period. Average nearest neighborhood analysis indicated that the cases were more clustered in the postflood period as compared with the preflood period, with observed mean distance of 1,139 meters and 1,666 meters, respectively (both at P < 0.01). Global Moran's I was higher in the postflood period (0.19; P < 0.01) as compared with the preflood period (0.06; P < 0.01). Geographic weighted regression showed that living close to water bodies increased the risk of contracting the disease. Postflooding hotspots were concentrated in areas where garbage cleanup occurred and the incidence was significantly associated with temperature, humidity, rainfall, and river levels. Postflooding leptospirosis outbreak was associated with several factors. Understanding the spatial distribution and associated factors of leptospirosis can help improve future disease outbreak management after the floods.
    Matched MeSH terms: Leptospirosis/epidemiology*
  8. Fulltext Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices regarding Leptospirosis among Visitors to a Recreational Forest in Malaysia
    Shafie NJ, Abdul Halim NS, Nor Zalipah M, Mohd Amin NAZ, Syed Esa SM, Md-Nor S, et al.
    Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2021 Jan 18;104(4):1290-1296.
    PMID: 33534768 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0306
    Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease and a worldwide public health problem that affects mainly high-risk groups. Characterizing knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) among high-risk groups is important to develop appropriate prevention programs. Here, we performed a cross-sectional study among 300 visitors of a recreational forest in Malaysia to examine leptospirosis KAP and demographics. These variables were integrated to create knowledge and practice scores for each respondent. All respondents had heard about leptospirosis, and 87% of them correctly identified it as a disease. The majority of respondents had high knowledge (63%), positive attitude, and good practice (68%) toward prevention of the disease. However, there were gaps in knowledge, with 78% of the respondents indicating eating without washing hands as the major cause of leptospirosis transmission. Our final model identified that higher knowledge score was associated with higher practice score. Our results indicate that it is important to increase knowledge, especially on transmission routes of leptospirosis, among visitors in recreational areas. Moreover, more attention needs to be paid to promote good practice habits among visitors, targeting those at higher risk of being infected by leptospirosis to prevent potential outbreaks in the recreational areas.
    Matched MeSH terms: Leptospirosis/epidemiology*; Leptospirosis/psychology*
  9. Fulltext High incidence of asymptomatic leptospirosis among urban sanitation workers from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo
    Jeffree MS, Mori D, Yusof NA, Atil AB, Lukman KA, Othman R, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2020 11 10;10(1):19442.
    PMID: 33173153 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76595-0
    Leptospirosis is a public health challenge in Sabah State of Malaysian Borneo. Rapid urbanization, rural-to-urban migration, and undocumented immigration in Sabah have increased the pressure on the urban garbage disposal system. Rodents and other small animals thrive under these conditions. We hypothesized that urban sanitation workers would be at risk of developing leptospirosis. In total, 303 urban sanitation workers with a mean age of 42.6 years were enrolled in this study. The serum samples collected from these workers were subjected to the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), PCR and nucleotide sequencing of the amplicons to confirm the presence of Leptospira. The phylogenetic analysis using the neighbor joining method was performed to assess whether they were pathogenic. In this study 43.8% (133/303) of the samples were MAT-seropositive and among them, 29 (21.8%) were positive by PCR. Nucleotide sequencing of the amplicons confirmed the presence of Leptospira. Phylogenetic analysis showed that our strains belonged to the pathogenic group of Leptospira. A high proportion of urban sanitation workers were seropositive for leptospirosis, and a considerable number were PCR positive for Leptospira, thereby indicating asymptomatic infections. Further research is needed to confirm whether this is a transient phenomenon or antibiotic therapy is required.
    Matched MeSH terms: Leptospirosis/microbiology; Leptospirosis/epidemiology*
  10. Fulltext Clinical aspect of leptospirosis in Malaya
    Trimble AP
    Proc. R. Soc. Med., 1957 Feb;50(2):125-8.
    PMID: 13408224
    Matched MeSH terms: Leptospirosis/epidemiology*
  11. Fulltext Leptospirosis among troops operating in Malaya during 1954 and 1955
    Levis DG
    Proc. R. Soc. Med., 1957 Feb;50(2):119-24.
    PMID: 13408223
    Matched MeSH terms: Leptospirosis/epidemiology*
  12. Risk factors of leptospirosis among febrile hospital admissions in northeastern Malaysia
    Rafizah AA, Aziah BD, Azwany YN, Imran MK, Rusli AM, Nazri SM, et al.
    Prev Med, 2013;57 Suppl:S11-3.
    PMID: 23295174 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2012.12.017
    Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonotic disease. Risk factors for the disease may vary among countries.
    Matched MeSH terms: Leptospirosis/diagnosis; Leptospirosis/etiology*; Leptospirosis/epidemiology
  13. Fulltext Combined PCR and MAT improves the early diagnosis of the biphasic illness leptospirosis
    Philip N, Affendy NB, Masri SN, Yuhana MY, Than LTL, Sekawi Z, et al.
    PLoS One, 2020;15(9):e0239069.
    PMID: 32915919 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239069
    The diagnosis of leptospirosis remains a challenge due to its non-specific symptoms and the biphasic nature of the illness. A comprehensive diagnosis that includes both molecular (polymerase chain reaction (PCR)) and serology is vital for early detection of leptospirosis and to avoid misdiagnosis. However, not all samples could be subjected to both tests (serology and molecular) due to budget limitation, infrastructure, and technical expertise at least in resource-limited countries. We evaluated the usefulness of testing the clinically suspected leptospirosis cases with both techniques on all samples collected from the patients on the day of admission. Among the 165 patient's blood/serum samples tested (from three hospitals in Central Malaysia), 43 (26%) showed positivity by microscopic agglutination test (MAT), 63 (38%) by PCR, while 14 (8%) were positive by both MAT and PCR. For PCR, we tested two molecular targets (lipL32 by qPCR and 16S rDNA or rrs by nested PCR) and detected lipL32 in 47 (29%) and rrs gene in 63 (38%) patients. The use of more than one target gene for PCR increased the detection rates. Hence, a highly sensitive multiplex PCR targeting more than one diagnostic marker is recommended for the early detection of Leptospira in suspected patients. When the frequencies for positivity detected either by MAT or PCR combined, leptospirosis was diagnosed in a total of 92 (56%) patients, a higher frequency compared to when samples were only tested by a single method (MAT or PCR). The results from this study suggest the inclusion of both serology and molecular methods for every first sample irrespective of the days post-onset of symptoms (DPO) collected from patients for early diagnosis of leptospirosis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Leptospirosis
  14. Fulltext A qualitative exploration of the misconceptions, knowledge gaps and constructs of leptospirosis among rural and urban communities in Malaysia
    Sukeri S, Idris Z, Zahiruddin WM, Shafei MN, Idris N, Hamat RA, et al.
    PLoS One, 2018;13(7):e0200871.
    PMID: 30021013 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200871
    This qualitative study aimed to explore the misconceptions, knowledge gaps and constructs of leptospirosis among 72 respondents from rural and urban districts in two states of Malaysia. We conducted focus group discussions and data were examined using thematic analyses. The layman term of 'rat urine disease' contributed the most to the misconceptions regarding leptospirosis. There were gaps in the knowledge among urban and rural respondents in the two states, with the majority of subjects demonstrating a poor understanding of the disease. Construction of knowledge about leptospirosis relied mostly on the information provided by mass and social media; reading materials; word-of-mouth publicity; observations; experiences; and knowledge sharing among families, friends, and communities. The study findings may provide the foundation for the development of educational materials that may reduce the gaps in knowledge, and thereby improve health literacy and enhance preventive health behaviours for avoiding leptospirosis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Leptospirosis/epidemiology*
  15. Fulltext Risk factors for human leptospirosis following flooding: A meta-analysis of observational studies
    Naing C, Reid SA, Aye SN, Htet NH, Ambu S
    PLoS One, 2019;14(5):e0217643.
    PMID: 31141558 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217643
    Leptospirosis is probably the most widespread zoonotic disease in the world especially in tropical countries. There has been an increase in individual studies, which assessed the frequency of leptospirosis in flood conditions. Some studies showed contact with floods was significantly associated with the occurrence of leptospirosis while other studies reported differently. The objective of this meta-analysis was to synthesize the evidence on the risk factors which are associated with human leptospirosis following flooding. We set up the inclusion criteria and searched for the original studies, addressing leptospirosis in human with related to flood in health-related electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, Ovid Medline, google scholar and Scopus sources. We used the terms 'leptospirosis', 'flood', 'risk factor' and terms from the categories were connected with "OR" within each category and by "AND" between categories. The initial search yielded 557 citations. After the title and abstract screening, 49 full-text papers were reviewed and a final of 18 observational studies met the pre-specified inclusion criteria. Overall, the pooled estimates of 14 studies showed that the contact with flooding was a significant factor for the occurrence of leptospirosis (pooled OR: 2.19, 95%CI: 1.48-3.24, I2:86%). On stratification, the strength of association was greater in the case-control studies (pooled OR: 4.01, 95%CI: 1.26-12.72, I2:82%) than other designs (pooled OR:1.77,95%CI:1.18-2.65, I2:87%). Three factors such as 'being male'(pooled OR:2.06, 95%CI:1.29-2.83), the exposure to livestock animals (pooled OR: 1.95, 95%CI:1.26-2.64), the lacerated wound (pooled OR:4.35, 95%CI:3.07-5.64) were the risk factors significantly associated with the incidence of leptospirosis following flooding in the absence of within-study heterogeneity (I2: 0%). We acknowledge study limitations such as publication bias and type 2 statistical errors. We recommended flood control and other environmental modifications that are expected to reduce the risk of leptospiral infection, and a multi-sectoral effort to this aspect would have long-term benefits.
    Matched MeSH terms: Leptospirosis/microbiology; Leptospirosis/epidemiology*
  16. Fulltext First report of pathogenic Leptospira spp. isolated from urine and kidneys of naturally infected cats
    Alashraf AR, Lau SF, Khairani-Bejo S, Khor KH, Ajat M, Radzi R, et al.
    PLoS One, 2020;15(3):e0230048.
    PMID: 32155209 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230048
    Leptospirosis is one of the most widespread zoonotic diseases and can infect both humans and animals worldwide. Healthy cat, as a potential source of exposure to humans, are likely underestimated owing to the lack of overt clinical signs associated with Leptospira spp. infection in this species. The aim of the study was to determine the exposure, shedding, and carrier status of leptospires in shelter cats in Malaysia by using serological, molecular, and bacteriological methods. For this study, 82 healthy cats from two shelters were sampled. The blood, urine, and kidneys were tested using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and bacterial culture. On the basis of serological, molecular, and/or culture techniques, the total detection of leptospiral infection was 29.3% (n = 24/82). Through culture techniques, 16.7% (n = 4/24) of the cats that tested positive were carriers with positive kidney cultures, and one cat was culture positive for both urine and kidney. The Leptospira spp. isolates were identified as pathogenic L. interrogans serovar Bataviae through serological and molecular methods. Through serological techniques, 87.5% (n = 21/24) had positive antibody titers (100-1600) and most of the Bataviae serogroup (n = 19/21). Using PCR, 16.7% (n = 4/24) of cats were shown to have pathogenic Leptospira spp. DNA in their urine. Furthermore, three out of four culture positive cats were serology negative. The present study reports the first retrieval of pathogenic leptospires from urine and kidneys obtained from naturally infected cats. The results provide evidence of the potential role of naturally infected cats in the transmission of leptospires. Additionally, leptospiral infection occurs sub-clinically in cats. The culture isolation provides evidence that healthy cats could be reservoirs of leptospiral infection, and this information may promote the development of disease prevention strategies for the cat population.
    Matched MeSH terms: Leptospirosis/microbiology; Leptospirosis/epidemiology*; Leptospirosis/urine
  17. Fulltext Elevated levels of IL-8 in fatal leptospirosis
    Wan Yusoff WSY, Abdullah M, Sekawi Z, Amran F, Yuhana MY, Mohd Taib N, et al.
    Pathog Glob Health, 2020 03;114(2):99-103.
    PMID: 32024441 DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2020.1724356
    Leptospirosis causes a wide range of clinical outcomes, including organ failure and death. Early treatment significantly increases the chances of cure. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is a chemoattractant cytokine for neutrophil and is associated with multiple organ failure. Research has indicated IL-8 to be raised in severe and fatal cases of leptospirosis, but its suitability as a prognostic biomarker has yet to be confirmed. This study aimed to evaluate the significance of IL-8 with the clinical outcomes of leptospirosis patients. Plasma IL-8 was measured in fifty-two samples from hospitalized patients and nineteen healthy controls. The comparisons were made between mild, severe-survived and fatal groups identified by clinical or laboratory findings. IL-8 was significantly higher in fatal (p = 0.01) compared to mild cases. IL-8 was also significantly higher in fatal (p = 0.02) when compared to survived cases of leptospirosis. IL-8 levels in the plasma of fatal leptospirosis cases were significantly elevated compared to survived cases and may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker in determining the possible outcome of leptospirosis patients.
    Matched MeSH terms: Leptospirosis/blood*; Leptospirosis/mortality*; Leptospirosis/epidemiology
  18. Fulltext Leptospiral Infection, Pathogenesis and Its Diagnosis-A Review
    Samrot AV, Sean TC, Bhavya KS, Sahithya CS, Chan-Drasekaran S, Palanisamy R, et al.
    Pathogens, 2021 Feb 01;10(2).
    PMID: 33535649 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10020145
    Leptospirosis is a perplexing conundrum for many. In the existing literature, the pathophysiological mechanisms pertaining to leptospirosis is still not understood in full. Considered as a neglected tropical zoonotic disease, leptospirosis is culminating as a serious problem worldwide, seemingly existing as co-infections with various other unrelated diseases, including dengue and malaria. Misdiagnosis is also common as non-specific symptoms are documented extensively in the literature. This can easily lead to death, as the severe form of leptospirosis (Weil's disease) manifests as a complex of systemic complications, especially renal failure. The virulence of Leptospira sp. is usually attributed to the outer membrane proteins, including LipL32. With an armament of virulence factors at their disposal, their ability to easily adhere, invade and replicate within cells calls for a swift refinement in research progress to establish their exact pathophysiological framework. As an effort to reconstitute the current knowledge on leptospirosis, the basis of leptospiral infection, including its risk factors, classification, morphology, transmission, pathogenesis, co-infections and clinical manifestations are highlighted in this review. The various diagnostic techniques are also outlined with emphasis on their respective pros and cons.
    Matched MeSH terms: Leptospirosis
  19. Fulltext Determination of Leptospira borgpetersenii serovar Javanica and Leptospira interrogans serovar Bataviae as the persistent Leptospira serovars circulating in the urban rat populations in Peninsular Malaysia
    Benacer D, Mohd Zain SN, Sim SZ, Mohd Khalid MK, Galloway RL, Souris M, et al.
    Parasit Vectors, 2016;9:117.
    PMID: 26927873 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1400-1
    Leptospirosis is an emerging infectious disease of global significance, and is endemic in tropical countries, including Malaysia. Over the last decade, a dramatic increase of human cases was reported; however, information on the primary vector, the rat, and the Leptospira serovars circulating among the rat population is limited. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to isolate Leptospira and characterise the serovars circulating in the urban rat populations from selected main cities in Peninsular Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Leptospirosis
  20. Fulltext Leptospira infection in rats: A literature review of global prevalence and distribution
    Boey K, Shiokawa K, Rajeev S
    PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 2019 08;13(8):e0007499.
    PMID: 31398190 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007499
    BACKGROUND: The role of rodents in Leptospira epidemiology and transmission is well known worldwide. Rats are known to carry different pathogenic serovars of Leptospira spp. capable of causing disease in humans and animals. Wild rats (Rattus spp.), especially the Norway/brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) and the black rat (R. rattus), are the most important sources of Leptospira infection, as they are abundant in urban and peridomestic environments. In this study, we compiled and summarized available data in the literature on global prevalence of Leptospira exposure and infection in rats, as well as compared the global distribution of Leptospira spp. in rats with respect to prevalence, geographic location, method of detection, diversity of serogroups/serovars, and species of rat.

    METHODS: We conducted a thorough literature search using PubMed without restrictions on publication date as well as Google Scholar to manually search for other relevant articles. Abstracts were included if they described data pertaining to Leptospira spp. in rats (Rattus spp.) from any geographic region around the world, including reviews. The data extracted from the articles selected included the author(s), year of publication, geographic location, method(s) of detection used, species of rat(s), sample size, prevalence of Leptospira spp. (overall and within each rat species), and information on species, serogroups, and/or serovars of Leptospira spp. detected.

    FINDINGS: A thorough search on PubMed retrieved 303 titles. After screening the articles for duplicates and inclusion/exclusion criteria, as well as manual inclusion of relevant articles, 145 articles were included in this review. Leptospira prevalence in rats varied considerably based on geographic location, with some reporting zero prevalence in countries such as Madagascar, Tanzania, and the Faroe Islands, and others reporting as high as >80% prevalence in studies done in Brazil, India, and the Philippines. The top five countries that were reported based on number of articles include India (n = 13), Malaysia (n = 9), Brazil (n = 8), Thailand (n = 7), and France (n = 6). Methods of detecting or isolating Leptospira spp. also varied among studies. Studies among different Rattus species reported a higher Leptospira prevalence in R. norvegicus. The serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae was the most prevalent serovar reported in Rattus spp. worldwide. Additionally, this literature review provided evidence for Leptospira infection in laboratory rodent colonies within controlled environments, implicating the zoonotic potential to laboratory animal caretakers.

    CONCLUSIONS: Reports on global distribution of Leptospira infection in rats varies widely, with considerably high prevalence reported in many countries. This literature review emphasizes the need for enhanced surveillance programs using standardized methods for assessing Leptospira exposure or infection in rats. This review also demonstrated several weaknesses to the current methods of reporting the prevalence of Leptospira spp. in rats worldwide. As such, this necessitates a call for standardized protocols for the testing and reporting of such studies, especially pertaining to the diagnostic methods used. A deeper understanding of the ecology and epidemiology of Leptospira spp. in rats in urban environments is warranted. It is also pertinent for rat control programs to be proposed in conjunction with increased efforts for public awareness and education regarding leptospirosis transmission and prevention.

    Matched MeSH terms: Leptospirosis/diagnosis; Leptospirosis/epidemiology*; Leptospirosis/veterinary*
Related Terms
Filters
Contact Us

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links