Caprine leptospirosis: Hematobiochemical and urinalyses studies

Abstract

Aim:The present study was designed to evaluate clinicopathological alterations in naturally occurring leptospirosis in goats of South Gujarat region, Gujarat.Materials and Methods:A total 459 blood/serum and 292 urine samples were collected from different districts of South Gujarat region, India. Blood/serum and urine samples were subjected to hematobiochemical analyses and urinalyses. The serum samples were screened for anti-leptospiral antibodies using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT). On the bases of presence or absence of anti-leptospiral antibodies in serum, seropositive and seronegative groups were made. The results were analyzed using standard statistical methods to know pathological changes in the disease.Results:In MAT, out of 459, 116 goats were seropositive, and 343 were seronegative. In hematobiochemical analyses, statistically significant (p<0.01) decrease in values of packed cell volume, hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, mean corpuscular Hb concentration and total protein and increased activity/level of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and total bilirubin between seropositive and seronegative goats were noted. Urinalyses did not reveal any specific changes. In the dark field microscopy, urine samples were found to be negative for leptospires.Conclusion:Hematobiochemical changes noted in seropositive goats were indicative of hepatic damage, and this knowledge would aid in the therapeutic management of the disease.

Prevalence of anti-leptospiral antibodies and frequency distribution of Leptospira serovars in small ruminants in enzootic South Peninsular India

“…The observed prevalence in the study was concurrent with those of previous studies conducted in India over the years, which have shown variation in the seroprevalence of different livestock species [8,26]. The seroprevalence of 22-29% in Gujarat [18,19,23,27,28]; 9.5-47% in Tamil Nadu [17,[29][30][31]; 27-33% in Kerala [10,32]; 23-29% in Andaman [10,15,33]; and 22-29% in different states located in various agroclimatic zones/region of India [10] in apparently healthy sheep and goats through various surveys has been reported. Further, leptospirosis from the non-endemic regions (Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Mizoram, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana) with seropositivity of 7-15% in sheep and goats have also been reported [10].…”

“…A high level of seroprevalence among the bovine population, in most of the enzootic Indian states, has been reported, wherein antibodies against more than 20 serogroups with the frequent shift in dominant serovars have been observed over the years in those states, where frequent monitoring is being carried out [12,13,15,16]. It is disappointing those studies on the prevalence and distribution of serovars in sheep and goats are very scanty in the world, including India, except for a few isolated studies [15,[17][18][19]. Leptospirosis in sheep and goats may present as an acute or as a subclinical infection and the affected animals may show pyrexia, conjunctivitis, jaundice, anemia, anuria, hemoglobinuria, loss of appetite, irritability, diarrhea, mastitis, haemogalactia, opaque furs, epidemic abortions, etc.…”

“…Leptospirosis in sheep and goats may present as an acute or as a subclinical infection and the affected animals may show pyrexia, conjunctivitis, jaundice, anemia, anuria, hemoglobinuria, loss of appetite, irritability, diarrhea, mastitis, haemogalactia, opaque furs, epidemic abortions, etc. ; whereas, the severe forms may lead to mortality of the lambs and kids [1,5,18]. Few studies have shown that sheep and goat leptospirosis have frequently been associated with serovar Hardjo, where the animal harbors the organism in the kidney as a chronic infection [20,21].…”

Histopathology of the kidney and seroprevalence of leptospirosis in wild rats in Baghdad Province, Iraq

“…Detecting the presence of leptospires in urine or in blood or tissues is difficult [88]. Many authors have detected leptospires in various body fluids of cattle, sheep, and goat using dark-field microscopy and confirmed by PCR, without bacterial isolation [62].…”

“…The occurrence of antibodies against many serovars without leptospiral isolation cannot establish a diagnosis of the disease [88], even during the early acute phase of the disease, where IgM ELISA can give a presumptive diagnosis of leptospirosis [89]. Unlike ELISA, PCR can accurately confirm the disease.…”