Use of polymerase chain reaction for the identification of Leptospira sp. in urine of carriers.

The objectives of the present work were to detect Leptospira seropositive animals. The ELISA results report only IgG antibodies, which could be attributable to chronic infections or else, that they are healthy carriers. All polymerase chain reaction positive animals should be considered potential sources of infection.

[Evaluation of an homologous bacterin against bovine leptospirosis]. / Evaluación de una bacterina homóloga contra la leptospirosis bovina.

48 adult bovine females dividided into 6 groups were used aimed at characterizing the immune response induced in breastfeeeding cows by an homologous bacterin formulated with different adjuvants. They were intramuscularly administered 2 milliliters of a bacterin formulated with Leptospira interrogans serovars uam, wolffi, hardjo, bratislava, grippotyphosa and panama added with different adjuvants, such as aluminum hydroxide, Freud's complete adjuvant, Freud's incomplete adjuvant, liposoluble vitamins, bacterin plus disparasitization with levamisol. The control group was administred only with bacterin. Immunization took place in 2 occasions at a time interval of 28 days. Blood samples were taken every 7 days during the first month after vaccination, and every 28 days for the next 8 months. All the sera were analyzed by the microscopic agglutination test. The results were transformed into Log10 and they were analyzed by NLIN and GLM of SAS. The period of greater response was estimated by the prediction model (Wood). The bacterin did not produce alteration either in the physiological constants, or in milk production. The serovars of Leptospira interrogans that induced higher titers were uam, hardjo and wolffi. The statistical difference between treatments and between serovars was determined.