ABSTRACT
AIMS: This study aimed to determine the proportion of exposure to leptospirosis and evaluate the degree of serovar antibody reaction in feral boars. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 58 sera obtained from feral boars in Khao Prathab Chang Wildlife Breeding Center, Ratchaburi, Thailand, were screened for leptospirosis exposure by microscopic agglutination test, conducted with a reference panel of 23 pathogenic serovars and a non-pathogenic serovar. RESULTS: Overall exposure rate of 62.07% was found in the studied population. An antibody reaction presented in 18 of 24 leptospiral serovars. Among the seropositive, Ballum serovar showed predominant exposure in the feral boar population. CONCLUSION: The results show a relatively high exposure to leptospirosis and the predominant serovar was Ballum followed by Canicola, the first finding in feral boars in Thailand. It has been revealed that feral boars act as a natural reservoir host of leptospirosis. There should be more concern about public health problems in leptospirosis arising where feral boars appear.
ABSTRACT
Leptospirosis is a worldwide distributed zoonosis which has long been endemic in Thailand. Cattle and buffaloes are important livestock species that live in close contact with humans, especially in rural areas. These animals may, therefore, act as long-term carriers of leptospirosis for humans and other livestock species. The present study employed loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method to detect pathogenic leptospiral 16S rDNA in the urine of cattle and buffaloes for assessing associations between uroprevalence and species, sex, age and spatial distribution. A total of 3,657 urine samples were collected for laboratory diagnosis, and 312 of which turned positive to the test (true prevalence 5.90%; 95% CI 4.98-6.91). The highest true uroprevalence was found in lower northern region at 19.80% (95% CI 15.83-24.32) followed by upper and lower northeastern regions at 15.22% and 6.25%, respectively. However, the highest true uroprevalence in beef cattle, the majority of cattle in Thailand, was recorded in northeastern region which is the endemic area of human leptospirosis. The uroprevalence was not statistically different among species and types of examined animals. Male animals were over twice more likely to be infected compared to females. Excluding animals younger than one year of age due to small sample size, the uroprevalence upraised with increasing age. A collaborative investigation between veterinary and public health sectors is required to holistically explore the link between leptospirosis in humans and livestock, especially in high prevalent areas.
