Bovine Leptospirosis Due to Persistent Renal Carriage of Leptospira borgpetersenii Serovar Tarassovi.

Leptospirosis is a global zoonotic disease that causes significant morbidity and mortality in human and animal populations. Leptospira interrogans is a leading cause of human disease, and L. borgpetersenii is a leading cause of animal disease. Cattle are reservoir hosts of L. borgpetersenii serovar Hardjo, which is transmitted via urine, semen, and uterine discharges resulting in abortion and poor reproductive performance. Bovine bacterin vaccines can only protect against those serovars included in vaccine formulations and typically include serovar Hardjo among others. Genotyping and serotyping represent two different and unique methods for classifying leptospires that do not always correlate well; comprehensive characterization using either method requires recovery of isolates from infected animals. In this study, we report for the first time, isolation of L. borgpetersenii serovar Tarassovi from the urine of a dairy cow in the U.S. The classification of the isolate, designated strain MN900, was confirmed by whole-genome sequencing, serotyping with reference antisera and monoclonal antibodies, Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI), and immunoblotting with reference antisera. Strain MN900 was excreted in urine samples for 18 weeks even as the cow was seronegative for serovar Tarassovi. Strain MN900 has an unusual morphology since it is not as motile as other leptospires and lacks hooked ends. Serovar Tarassovi is not included in U.S. bacterin vaccines. These results demonstrate the importance of culture and concomitant genotyping and serotyping to accurately classify leptospires, and as required to design efficacious vaccine and diagnostic strategies to not only limit animal disease but reduce zoonotic risk.

Aseptic meningitis as the initial presentation of Leptospira borgpetersenii serovar Tarassovi: two case reports and a literature review.

BACKGROUND: Leptospirosis is a zoonotic illness caused by pathogenic spirochetes of the genus Leptospira. The disease spectrum ranges from a mild influenza-like presentation to a more serious Weil's syndrome. Leptospirosis rarely presents as a primary neurological syndrome. We report two cases of Leptospira borgpetersenii serovar Tarasssovi presenting as aseptic meningitis in Sri Lanka. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe case reports of two patients presenting as symptomatic aseptic meningitis due to neuroleptospirosis. Both patients had significant neurological involvement at presentation in the absence of common clinical features of leptospirosis. These patients were initially managed as bacterial or viral meningitis and leptospirosis was suspected due to a history of exposure to contaminated water. Subsequently, they were diagnosed to have neuroleptospirosis by positive Leptospira serology and both patients gained full recovery. CONCLUSION: Our report highlights the importance of considering leptospirosis as a differential diagnosis in patients with aseptic meningitis in endemic settings. Obtaining a detailed occupational and recreational history is helpful in diagnosing neuroleptospirosis promptly. We report the association of Leptospira borgpetersenii serovar (sv.) Tarassovi (strain bakeri) in causing aseptic meningitis, which has not been reported to the best of our knowledge.

Serological Survey on the Occurrence of Anti-Leptospira spp. Antibodies in Red-Eared Terrapins (Trachemys scripta elegans) Living in a Natural Park of Northern Italy.

Turtles are suspected to be involved in the epidemiology of Leptospira; however, data about the dissemination of this zoonotic pathogen among chelonians are scant. In the present study, the serum samples collected from 49 Trachemys scripta elegans living in a natural park of northern Italy were tested by a microagglutination test to measure detectable antibodies against different Leptospira serovars. Three (6.12%) turtles had agglutinins to the serovar Tarassovi, suggesting that they were exposed to the spirochaetes. Currently, it is not clear if Leptospira can cause disease in chelonians or if these animals can serve as reservoirs of leptospirae. Considering that chelonians often share the same environment with other animals and humans, and considering the One Health perspective, investigations to better understand the role of chelonians as a source of Leptospira infection are necessary.

Serological study of Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni and L. borgpetersenii serovars Tarassovi and Ballum in beef cattle, sheep and deer in New Zealand.

AIMS: To estimate animal-level seroprevalence of Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni and L. borgpetersenii serovars Ballum and Tarassovi, in beef cattle, sheep and deer on New Zealand farms, and herd/flock-level seroprevalence of any serovar when existing same-sera data for serovars Hardjobovis and Pomona were included, and to determine associations between risk factors and animal-level seroprevalence. METHODS: Banked sera from sheep (n = 82), beef (n = 54) and deer (n = 62) herds/flocks (n = 3,878 animals) from seven regions were analysed using the microscopic agglutination test. Titres of ≥48 were designated positive. Herds/flocks were considered positive if either ≥1, ≥2 or ≥3 animals were positive. Existing same-sera data for serovars Hardjobovis and Pomona were included to establish farm-level any-serovar seropositivity. Factors associated with serological status were analysed using generalised estimating equations. RESULTS: Animal-level seroprevalence for serovars Ballum, Copenhageni, and Tarassovi, respectively, was 13.7 (95% CI = 11.7-16.0)%, 12.6 (95% CI = 10.6-14.7)% and 18.0 (95% CI = 15.7-20.5)% for beef cattle, 10.5 (95% CI = 9.0-12.1)%, 16.7 (95% CI = 14.9-18.6)% and 14.0 (95% CI = 12.4-15.8)% for sheep and 6.6 (95% CI = 5.3-8.2)%, 15.5 (95% CI = 13.5-17.7)% and 3.6 (95% CI = 2.7-4.8)% for deer, respectively. Herd/flock-level seroprevalence for Ballum was 86.6, 52.4 and 39.0% for sheep, 85.2, 52.7 and 33.3% for beef cattle and 50.8, 27.9 and 21.3% for deer at definitions ≥1, ≥2 and ≥3 seropositive animals per species, respectively. For Copenhageni, corresponding data were 95.1, 73.2 and 56.1% for sheep, 68.5, 48.2 and 29.6% for beef cattle and 73.8, 57.4 and 41.0% for deer, and for Tarassovi, 80.5, 59.7 and 45.1% for sheep, 83.3, 68.5 and 61.1% for beef cattle, and 42.6, 16.4 and 4.9% for deer. Seropositivity to all serovars was observed from all regions, with some differences in seroprevalence observed between species and regions, but not between islands. Combining with Hardjobovis and Pomona data, herd/flock-level seropositivity for all animal species and all five Leptospira serovars was 100% at definition ≥1 animal positive, and 97.5 and 96.3% for sheep flocks, 87.8 and 97.8% for beef cattle herds, and 89.3 and 75% for deer herds at ≥2 and ≥3 animals positive, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Seropositivity to serovars Ballum, Copenhageni and Tarassovi is common in sheep, beef cattle and deer New Zealand and most, or all farms have ≥1 livestock species seropositive to ≥1 serovar. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Serovars Ballum, Tarassovi and Copenhageni should be considered when clinical or subclinical signs of leptospirosis are observed in sheep, beef cattle or deer. Livestock sector workers are potentially at risk of exposure.

Detección de Leptospira santarosai y L. kirschneri en bovinos: nuevos aislados con potencial impacto en producción bovina y salud pública / Detection of Leptospira santarosai and L. kirschneri in cattle: new isolates with potential impact in bovine production and public health

Bovine leptospirosis causes high economic losses in cattle mainly due to reproductive failure, as well as representing public health risk. Since the last century, antibody titers against several Leptospira serovars have been detected by the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) in Mexico. With the exception of very few cases, the presence of serovars causing leptospirosis in cattle and other animal species has not been demonstrated by isolation in Mexico, and in such cases characterization had to be done abroad by complex and slow immunological approaches, by comparison with a number of reference strains. The present study was conducted to perform the molecular characterization of Leptospira isolates by multiple locus sequencing typing (MLST). A hundred and ninety seven sera and kidneys samples were collected immediately after slaughter, from grazing cattle coming from the south-eastern states of Mexico. Anti-Leptospira antibodies were detected by the MAT and kidneys were inoculated into EMJH and Fletcher's specific medium. A seropositivity of 60.4% (119 out of 197), with titers from 1:100 up to 1:3 200 was detected. Four isolates (2.03%), referred as CAL4, CAL6, CAL7 and MOCA45, were characterized by serology, ribotyping and MLST as L. kirschneri serovar Grippotyphosa; L. interrogans serovar Hardjo; L. santarosai serovar Mini and L. santarosai serovar Tarassovi, respectively. With the exception of serovar Hardjo, the three other isolates belong to serovars and species not previously isolated in Mexico. These findings make it necessary to evaluate the potential distribution of such serovars among cattle and their role on animal production and public health.

La leptospirosis bovina causa grandes pérdidas económicas a la ganadería por problemas reproductivos y también es un riesgo de salud pública. En México, desde el siglo pasado se ha registrado la presencia de anticuerpos contra serovariedades de Leptospira por la técnica de aglutinación microscópica (AM), en bovinos y otras especies animales. En muy pocos casos, la enfermedad fue demostrada por el aislamiento de Leptospira, y en tales casos, su caracterización se basó en métodos inmunológicos lentos que requirieron la comparación con cepas de referencia y que fueron realizados fuera de México. En el presente trabajo se realizó la caracterización molecular mediante la secuenciación de locus múltiples (MLST), de aislados de Leptospira obtenidos de riñones de bovinos recolectados en rastro, procedentes de las zonas Golfo y sur de México. Se obtuvieron muestras de suero y riñones de 197 bovinos para realizar la AM, y el cultivo en medios específicos EMJH y Fletcher. Se detectó una seropositividad del 60.4% (119 de 197), con títulos desde 1:100 hasta 1:3,200 y se obtuvieron cuatro aislados de Leptospira (2.03%), denominados CAL4, CAL6, CAL7 y MOCA45. Los aislados fueron caracterizados por serología, ribotipificación y MLST, como L. kirschneri serovariedad Grippotyphposa; L. interrogans serovariedad Hardjo; L. santarosai serovariedad Mini y L. santarosai serovariedad Tarassovi, respectivamente. A excepción de la serovariedad Hardjo, los aislados pertenecen a especies y serovariedades no aisladas anteriormente en la República Mexicana, esto sugiere la necesidad de evaluar su diseminación entre bovinos y su potencial efecto en la producción animal y en la salud pública.