The Presence Of Rodents Infected With Leptospira Bacteria In Various Countries And The Leptospirosis Potential In Humans: A Systematic Review

ABSTRACT

@#Leptospirosis is an infectious disease caused by Leptospira bacteria. It is a global public health concern, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. The aim of this review was to summarize some relevant studies that discuss the presence of rodents and the identification of Leptospira bacteria in rodents. This review also presents findings on the potential reassociation of the presence of rodents with Leptospira bacterial infections to leptospirosis cases in humans. A systematic review methodology used to minimize article selection bias that was likely to occur. During the initial search from three science databases (ProQuest, Scopus, and PubMed), 119 articles were retrieved. During the screening process, three articles were excluded due to duplication, 101 articles were excluded based on title and abstract incompatibility with the inclusion criteria, five articles were excluded due to incompatibility of article content with the inclusion criteria, and two articles were excluded because of the ineligibility with the study. In the final screening process, eight articles were chosen to be analyzed. This review found that the presence of rodents infected with Leptospira had the potential to cause leptospirosis in humans through contaminated water and soil or by direct human-to-human contact. The lead factors in the transmission of leptospirosis infection from rodents to humans are activities that take place in wetlands and rice fields, forestry work, and farming activities.