Leptospirosis in Nepal

Brown, G.W.; Madasamy, M.; Bernthal, P.; Groves, Michael G.

doi:10.1016/0035-9203(81)90203-0

Cited by 9 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Major outbreaks were reported in recent years more notably in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. It is also believed to be endemic in Nepal as ideal conditions exist for transmission of this infection in this country 18 , however, as with other developing countries, the infection is largely underreported. The non-specific manifestation of the disease, limited laboratory capacity and lack of transversal policy, all contributed to underreporting of cases hence undermining the true prevalence of the disease.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Serological study of Leptospirosis in central Nepal

Nepal

Acharya

Gautam

et al. 2013

Int J of Biomed & Adv Res

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Background: Leptospirosis, an infectious disease caused by spirochetes of the genus Leptospira, is the most wide-spread zoonosis in the world. Humans acquire infection through contact with the urine of infected or carrier animals, either directly or through contaminated water or soil. There are only few reports documenting the serological evidence of leptospirosis in Nepal. Thus, present study aims to determine the status of leptospirosis in central Nepal.

Material and Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted in 1266 patients suspected of leptospirosis in Chitwan Medical College Teaching Hospital for a period of two years. Blood samples collected from the patients were processed for qualitative detection of leptospiral IgM antibody by ELISA (Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay).

Results: Of the 1266 samples subjected to ELISA, seropositivity was seen in 61 samples (4.8%) with the highest rate observed in the autumn season (63.9%) followed by summer season (21.3%). Majority (39.3%) of the seropositive individuals were agricultural workers. Leptospirosis was more common in males and in the people of 16-30 years.

Conclusion: Leptospirosis is common in central Nepal. Epidemiological surveillance and laboratory capacity across the region need strengthening to determine its true prevalence in the community.

Keywords: Leptospirosis, Central Nepal, Seropositivity

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Serological study of Leptospirosis in central Nepal

Nepal

Acharya

Gautam

et al. 2013

Int J of Biomed & Adv Res

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Conclusion: Leptospirosis is common in central Nepal. Epidemiological surveillance and laboratory capacity across the region need strengthening to determine its true prevalence in the community.

Keywords: Leptospirosis, Central Nepal, Seropositivity

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“…Previously, leptospirosis has only rarely been documented in Nepal, 28 although the region is a suitable environment for this infection. Underreporting almost certainly occurs because of the lack of readily available tests and the non-specific clinical presentation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Etiology of Febrile Illness in Adults Presenting to Patan Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal

Murdoch

Woods²,

Zimmerman³

et al. 2004

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

179

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In Nepal, many infections remain poorly characterized, partly due to limited diagnostic facilities. We studied consecutive febrile adults presenting to a general hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal. Of the 876 patients enrolled, enteric fever and pneumonia were the most common clinical diagnoses. Putative pathogens were identified in 323 (37%) patients, the most common being Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi and S. enterica serotype Paratyphi A (117), Rickettsia typhi (97), Streptococcus pneumoniae (53), Leptospira spp. (36), and Orientia tsutsugamushi (28). Approximately half of the Salmonella isolates were resistant to nalidixic acid. No clinical predictors were identified to reliably distinguish between the different infections. These findings confirm the heavy burden of enteric fever and pneumonia in Kathmandu, and highlight the importance of murine typhus, scrub typhus, and leptospirosis. Given the lack of reliable clinical predictors, the development of cheap and accurate diagnostic tests are likely to be of great clinical utility in this setting.

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“…Most cases reported from India are from the four states of Kerala, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra [ 15 , 16 ]. The first report of a suspected leptospiral infection in Nepal was in a Nepali soldier in 1981 [ 17 ]. Since then, a number of serological studies have been carried out in Nepal, showing the presence of antibodies against Leptospira in a number of populations [ 18 – 21 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sero-epidemiology study of leptospirosis in febrile patients from Terai region of Nepal

Regmi¹,

Pandey

Malla

et al. 2017

BMC Infect Dis

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BackgroundLeptospirosis is a re-emerging zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic strains of bacteria belonging to genus Leptospira whose symptoms can range from mild clinical manifestations to a severe life threatening illness. This disease may be under-recognized in resource poor settings like Nepal where many clinical laboratories lack appropriate equipment, technology and personnel for proper diagnosis.MethodsWe used IgM ELISA to estimate the sero-prevalence of leptospirosis in a group of febrile patients in a western region of Nepal. We also tested for possible co-infection with two other common febrile diseases endemic to Nepal including dengue and typhoid fever.ResultsAmong samples from 144 febrile patients, 30 (21%) were positive for leptospiral IgM. In univariate analysis, leptospirosis was significantly associated with being of working age (p = 0.019), farming (p = 0.045) and water and animal contact (p = 0.0001). Widal and dengue serological study showed that the majority of leptospirosis infections did not have an alternative diagnosis.ConclusionAs indicated by the study, regular surveillance of animal reservoirs in collaboration with veterinary department and inclusion of leptospirosis as a differential diagnosis of febrile illness is thus recommended based on the current findings.

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Leptospirosis in Nepal

Cited by 9 publications

References 2 publications

Serological study of Leptospirosis in central Nepal

Serological study of Leptospirosis in central Nepal

The Etiology of Febrile Illness in Adults Presenting to Patan Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal

Sero-epidemiology study of leptospirosis in febrile patients from Terai region of Nepal

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