Leptospira spp. in horses in southern Brazil: Seroprevalence, infection risk factors, and influence on reproduction
•Seroprevalence in southern Brazil was 45.9%.•Antibodies to 12 serovars of Leptospira spp. (9 serogroups) were found in the study region.•Reproductive disorders by Leptospira spp. it was not observed in horse.•There was a higher percentage of positives among animals older than 10 years.•Icterohaemor...
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| Published in: | Comparative immunology, microbiology and infectious diseases Vol. 73; p. 101552 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier Ltd
01-12-2020
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | •Seroprevalence in southern Brazil was 45.9%.•Antibodies to 12 serovars of Leptospira spp. (9 serogroups) were found in the study region.•Reproductive disorders by Leptospira spp. it was not observed in horse.•There was a higher percentage of positives among animals older than 10 years.•Icterohaemorragiae serogroup were more prevalent.
Leptospirosis in horses is often associated with reproductive disorders. In the southern states of Brazil, horses are used for various jobs and cultural practices; nevertheless, serological surveillance for Leptospira is rare. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of Leptospira spp. in horses in southern Brazil, as well as to identify the risk factors for infection and its impacts on reproduction. We performed microscopic agglutination tests for 12 serovars that corresponding 9 serogroup (Sejroe, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Australis, Pyrogenes, Pomona, Canicola, Grippotyphosa, Tarassovi and Ballum) in 595 samples from 60 herds. A brief history was obtained to analyze risk factors for reproductive disorders. A total of 45.9% of the tested horses were seropositive, of which the most frequent serogroups were Icterohaemorrhagiae (Icterohaemorrhagiae and Copenhageni serovars) and Ballum (Ballum serovar). Simple infections were found in 45.4% of seropositive animals, while mixed infections occurred in 54.6% of horses. There was a correlation between seropositivity and age and sex, that is, seropositivity was more frequent in animals over 6 years old and in females. There was no correlation between seropositivity and reproductive disorders. We conclude that there is a high seroprevalence of Leptospira spp. in southern Brazil with predominance of Icterohaemorrhagiae serogroup, mainly in older animals. Location, breeds, contact with dogs or other domestic animals are not risk factors, whereas gender is a risk factor. Reproductive disorders are not due to leptospirosis in the study region. |
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| Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
| ISSN: | 0147-9571 1878-1667 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.cimid.2020.101552 |