Passive surveillance of Leptospira infection in swine in Germany.

BACKGROUND: As no current data are available on the prevalence of leptospiral infection in swine in Germany, we analysed laboratory data from diagnostic examinations carried out on samples from swine all over Germany from January 2011 to September 2016. A total of 29,829 swine sera were tested by microscopic agglutination test (MAT) for antibodies against strains of eleven Leptospira serovars. RESULTS: Overall, 20.2% (6025) of the total sample collection tested positive for leptospiral infection. Seropositivity ranged between 16.3% (964) in 2011 and 30.9% (941) in 2016 (January to September only). Of all samples, 11.6% (57.3% of the positives) reacted with only one Leptospira serovar, and only 8.6% (42.7% of the positives) reacted simultaneously with two or more serovars. The most frequently detected serovar was Bratislava, which was found in 11.6% (3448) of all samples, followed by the serovars Australis in 7.3% (2185), Icterohaemorrhagiae in 4.0% (1191), Copenhageni in 4.0% (1182), Autumnalis in 3.7% (1054), Canicola in 2.0% (585), and Pomona in 1.2% (368). Modelling shows that both the year and the reason for testing at the laboratory had statistically strong effects on the test results; however, no interactions were determined between those factors. The results support the suggestion that the seropositivities found may be considered to indicate the state of leptospiral infections in the German swine population. CONCLUSION: Although data from passive surveillance are prone to selection bias, stratified analysis by initial reason for examination and analyses by model approaches may correct for biases. A prevalence of about 20% for a leptospiral infection is most probable for sows with reproductive problems in Germany, with an increasing trend. Swine in Germany are probably a reservoir host for serovar Bratislava, but in contrast to other studies not for Pomona and Tarassovi.

[Molecularbiological diagnosis of herpes virus infection of a juvenile Russian tortoise (Agrionemys horsfieldii) with skin and lung lesions]. / Molekularbiologische Diagnostik einer Herpesvirusinfektion bei einer juvenilen Vierzehenschildkröte (Agrionemys horsfieldii) mit Haut- und Lungenveränderungen.

Herpesvirus infections are significant in the care of turtles and tortoises. Clinical signs range from unspecific symptoms, due to the variety of organ manifestations, to the "classical" picture of rhinitis-stomatitis. The presented case study showed the typical disease only with respect to clinical symptoms following hibernation, but lacks stomatitis, erosions or plaques in the oral mucosa. On the other hand, skin lesions on the extremeties, causative with herpesvirus infection, could be diagnosed. In this case study, various symptoms, sampling procedures and diagnostics using two different PCR methods are presented. Following hibernation, samples from a Russian tortoise (Agrionemys horsfieldii) were taken ante mortem and post mortem and screened with respect to virology, pathology, bacteriology and parasitology. DNA-fragments specific for tortoise herpesvirus were detected in various organs and body liquids. Furthermore basophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies were found. The bacteriological examination showed a high level of Pasteurella testunis in the lungs. By parasitological examination nematodes (Oxyridae) were diagnosed. A potential prophylaxis tortoise herpesvirus is discussed.

Development of a novel ELISA for serodiagnosis of Leptospirosis and additional detection of pathogenic Leptospira by polymerase chain reaction for veterinary routine diagnostics.

A multi-serovar ELISA based on the outer membrane Lipoprotein L41 (LipL41) of pathogenic Leptospira was developed to increase sensitivity by using a single test antigen. A sensitivity of 99 % and a specifity of 92 % could be achieved. The established diagnostic polymerase chain reaction is also able to detect fast and reliably pathogenic Leptospira in different clinical samples.