Article
Persistent High Leptospiral Shedding by Asymptomatic Dogs in Endemic Areas Triggers a Serious Public Health Concern
Registro en:
COSTA, Ricardo Sant’Anna da et al. Persistent High Leptospiral Shedding by Asymptomatic Dogs in Endemic Areas Triggers a Serious Public Health Concern. Animals, v. 11, n.937, Mar. 2021.
2076-2615
10.3390/ani11040937
Autor
Costa, Ricardo Sant’Anna da
Azevedo, Maria Isabel N. Di
Borges, Ana Luiza dos Santos Baptista
Costa, Filipe Anibal Carvalho
Martins, Gabriel
Lilenbaum, Walter
Resumen
Dogs are known as hosts of Leptospira interrogans and can spread this
bacterium to the environment. Although Canicola is responsible for determining chronic disease in
dogs, when affected by incidental serogroups such as Icterohaemorrhagiae, acute disease may occur
with a predominance of clinical signs with hepatic and renal changes. In endemic areas, it is a serious
public health problem. Thus, this study aims to estimate the incidence and duration of elimination
of leptospires in the urine of dogs, taking another step from a previous study of our group, by a
longitudinal, long-term and molecular approach. (2) Methods: A total of 125 dogs without apparent
symptoms of leptospirosis were included in the study. The dogs were all PCR-negative and seronegative
at the beginning of the study. Blood samples were collected for hematological examinations
and urine for amplification of the lipL32 gene by PCR at five different time points during one year.
(3) Results: Out of the 125 dogs, 62 became lipL32 PCR-positive (48.8% (95% CI, 47.9–49.7%)) at
some point during the study, distributed as follows: at day 0, all negative; day 90, 18/125 (14.4%
(95% CI, 13.5–15.3%)); day 180, 18/125 (14.4% (95% CI, 13.5–15.3%)); day 270, 12/125 (9.6% (95% CI,
8.7–10.5%)); and day 365, 14/125 (11.2% (95% CI, 10.3–12.1%)). Out of the 62 amplicons, 22 were sequenced,
targeting a short region of secY gene. Of these, 20 (90.9%) were identical to the L. interrogans
serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae, while two (9.1%) were Leptospira noguchii. (4) Conclusions: The fact
that the leptospires of the Icterohaemorrhagiae serogroup were characterized was unexpected, since
the animals remained clinically asymptomatic during the study. The fact that asymptomatic dogs
shed leptospires is not new, but the extent of this fact and the characterized strain is impressive, with
an impact on public health that cannot be overlooked.