Leptospira infection in rats: A literature review of global prevalence and distribution

Boey, Kenneth; Shiokawa, Kanae; Rajeev, Sreekumari

doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0007499

Cited by 156 publications

(144 citation statements)

References 127 publications

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“…These three serovars have previously been isolated from dogs [39,41]. Association between Icterohaemorrhagiae and rodents is well documented [42]. Since these shelters have limited resources, rodent infestation of the premises is very common in this region.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Leptospiral shedding and seropositivity in shelter dogs in the Cumberland Gap Region of Southeastern Appalachia

et al. 2020

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Background Leptospirosis, caused by pathogenic Leptospira spp., is a zoonotic infection that affects humans, dogs and many other mammalian species. Virtually any mammalian species can act as asymptomatic reservoir, characterized by chronic renal carriage and shedding of a host-adapted leptospiral serovar. Environmental contamination by chronic shedders results in acquisition of infection by humans and susceptible animals.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Leptospiral shedding and seropositivity in shelter dogs in the Cumberland Gap Region of Southeastern Appalachia

et al. 2020

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“…More generally, the incidence of human cases of leptospirosis is rising in Europe (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control 2018) as well as the rate of (peri-) urban transmission (Dupouey et al 2014). The increase of the leptospirosis burden in European countries is most likely exacerbated by climate change (global warming and increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events) (Lau 2010), human population growth (Lau 2010), increasing urbanisation (Minter et al 2018), increasing expansion of urban rodents (Boey et al 2019;Dupouey et al 2014;Vitale et al 2018) and other wildlife reservoirs (Baldi et al 2019;Jansen et al 2007), and rise in international travels (Pijnacker et al 2017). Rat population control through culling appears inefficient for reducing the risk of Leptospira transmission to humans (Lee et al 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Wild rats (Rattus spp.) are chronic asymptomatic carriers of Leptospira spp., maintaining the spirochetes in their proximal renal tubules, and are viewed as the key source of infection to humans, particularly in urban habitats (Boey et al 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Prevalence is highest in tropical regions where leptospirosis mainly affects the most vulnerable, lower-income, populations (Costa et al 2015). However, the risk of leptospirosis transmission in cities of the developed and industrialized countries, as defined in (United Nations 2016), is now recognized as of increasing importance (Boey et al 2019). This risk has been demonstrated in Baltimore, USA (Vinetz et al 1996), Tokyo, Japan (Koizumi et al 2009), Marseille, France (Socolovschi et al 2011), and Palermo, Italy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prevalence and risk factors of Leptospira infection in urban brown rats (Rattus norvegicus), Vienna, Austria

et al. 2020

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Leptospirosis is a worldwide bacterial zoonosis which incidence is expected to increase in conjunction with global change. In urban ecosystems, synanthropic rats are the key source of Leptospira infection in humans and other animals. Risk assessment and prediction of human leptospirosis require investigations of the environment associated with the bacteria and infection patterns in the reservoir hosts. The objective of this study was to address the prevalence of mixed Leptospira infection in the lungs and kidneys of brown rats captured in three sites of the city centre of Vienna, Austria, between 2016 and 2018. A total of 96 brown rats were examined for the presence of Leptospira using PCR. Occurrence of mixed Leptospira infections was explored through next-generation sequencing (NGS). A logistic regression model was built to predict the individual infection status using morphological and land-use data. Overall, the prevalence of Leptospira interrogans in the kidney was 25% but varied among sites (0-36%). We did not evidence any pulmonary nor mixed infections. Host body mass and sex were strong predictors of Leptospira carriage in the sampled rats (relative variable importance (RVI) = 0.98 and 0.89, respectively) while the presence of water affected it moderately (RVI = 0.44). Our findings demonstrate that NGS is an unbiased approach to the direct characterisation of mixed leptospiral infections that could provide further insights into the ecology of Leptospira. Future surveillance programmes should consider the use of rats as sentinels for the early detection of emerging pathogenic Leptospira in urban ecosystems.

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“…Rattus norvegicus are traditionally associated with L. interrogans serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae (3), and generally have a higher prevalence of infection than other Rattus spp. (4). Exposure to this key urban rodent pest has been demonstrated to be associated with increased risk of leptospirosis (5).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multi-locus sequence analyses reveal a clonal L. borgpetersenii genotype in a heterogeneous invasive Rattus spp. community across the City of Johannesburg, South Africa

Moseley

Naidoo

Bastos

et al. 2020

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Background Rattus spp. are frequently implicated as key reservoir hosts for leptospirosis, one of the most common, but neglected, bacterial zoonoses in the world. Although leptospirosis is predicted to be a significant public health threat in Africa, studies from the continent are limited. Methods Rattus spp. (n=171) were sampled (January-May 2016) across the City of Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest inland metropole. Rattus spp. genetic diversity was evaluated by full length (1140 bp) cyt b sequencing of 42 samples. For comparison, a further 12 R. norvegicus samples collected in Cape Town, South Africa’s largest coastal metropole, were also genotyped. Leptospira infections were identified and genotyped using real-time PCR and multi-locus (lfb1, secY, lipL41) DNA sequencing. Results Five R. norvegicus haplotypes were identified across Johannesburg, four of which have not previously been detected in South Africa, and one in Cape Town. Across Johannesburg we identified a Leptospira spp. infection prevalence of 44% (75/171) and noted significant differences in the prevalence between administrative regions within the metropole. Multi-locus sequence analyses identified a clonal genotype consistent with L. borgpetersenii serogroup Javanica (serovar Ceylonica).Discussion The prevalence of infection identified in this study is amongst the highest detected in Rattus spp. in similar contexts across Africa. Despite the complex invasion history suggested by the heterogeneity in R. norvegicus haplotypes identified in Johannesburg, a single L. borgpetersenii genotype was identified in all infected rodents. The lack of L. interrogans in a rodent community dominated by R. norvegicus is notable given the widely recognised host-pathogen association between these species and evidence for L. interrogans infection in R. norvegicus in Cape Town. It is likely that environmental conditions (cold, dry winters) in Johannesburg may limit the transmission of L. interrogans. Spatial heterogeneity in prevalence suggest that local factors, such as land use, influence disease risk in the metropole. Conclusion In South Africa, as in other African countries, leptospirosis is likely underdiagnosed. The high prevalence of infection in urban rodents in Johannesburg suggest that further work is urgently needed to understand the potential public health risk posed by this neglected zoonotic pathogen.

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Leptospira infection in rats: A literature review of global prevalence and distribution

Cited by 156 publications

References 127 publications

Leptospiral shedding and seropositivity in shelter dogs in the Cumberland Gap Region of Southeastern Appalachia

Leptospiral shedding and seropositivity in shelter dogs in the Cumberland Gap Region of Southeastern Appalachia

Prevalence and risk factors of Leptospira infection in urban brown rats (Rattus norvegicus), Vienna, Austria

Multi-locus sequence analyses reveal a clonal L. borgpetersenii genotype in a heterogeneous invasive Rattus spp. community across the City of Johannesburg, South Africa

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