Leptospirosis in Trinidad and Grenada, with special reference to the mongoose

Abstract

In Trinidad, six Leptospira isolates were made from 957 febrile patients between 1968 amd 1972. In addition, CF antibodies were detected in 6-6% of febrile patients and human survey sera collected during this period. In 1972 alone, 10-4% (38/363) of sera examined had CF titres consistent with positive exposure to the disease. Grenada does not report leptospirosis, but the disease is common in mongooses in both Trinidad and Grenada. Serogroups Icterohaemorrhagiae, Pomona and Canicola are present in Grenada with 35-2% of mongooses examined being seropositive. Five Canicola strains of Leptospira were isolated from mongooses in Trinidad and serological studies showed that this was the most common serogroup from mongooses on the island. A total of 31 strains recorded from at least seven different serogroups and eight named serotypes have been isolated from humans, rats and mongooses in Trinidad. Human leptospirosis is probably more common in the Caribbean than the medical records indicate.

Epidemiological studies on leptospirosis in Chiang Mai (Thailand)

“…Our data agree with that of Sitprija et al (1985) who observed a high incidence of L. bataviae infection. The results from the West Indies, reported by Everard & Green (1976) are similar to those reported here.…”

Serological Evidence of Exposure toLeptospiraspp. in Veterinary Students and Other University Students in Trinidad and Tobago

“…Regarding the seven serovars detected in the current study, five (Icterohaemorrhagiae Copenhageni, Icterohaemorrhagiae Icterohaemorrhagiae, Sejroe Sejroe, Ballum Ballum, and Bataviae Bataviae) have earlier been reported in human and animal infections or clinical leptospirosis in the country [26–28, 35, 38, 39]. …”

Seroepidemiology of leptospirosis in livestock in Trinidad

“…The organisms can exist in water and soil as detected in samples taken from rice fields, water channels, and rivers; these act as sources of infection for humans (Issazadeh et al 2008). While reservoir hosts may not display clinical signs when infected with particular serovars, infection of humans with these same serovars may result in illness and disease (Babudieri 2006;Everard and Green 1976).…”