Survey on the prevalence of leptospira infections in the Italian population

Abstract

This investigation is the first nationwide survey on the circulation of leptospira infections in human beings in Italy. In nine out of twenty Italian regions, representative samples of the population were investigated for the presence of leptospira infections. Unexpectedly, leptospira infections were found to be widespread, the number of cases being much higher than the diagnosed clinical cases. There were found to be high, medium, and low risk areas. On the whole, the risk for the rural population was no higher than the risk for urban dwellers; leisure activities, contact with animals and residence on the plain versus residence in the hills were important risk factors. There was an unidentified risk factor in urbanites which was absent in the rural population. A changing pattern in infecting serovars was observed, with infections from serogroups Sejroe, Javanica and Australis prevailing over infections from the Icterohaemorrhagiae and Bataviae serogroups, which were the main agents of human leptospirosis during the 1950s. The mechanisms of these changes, the need for epidemiological surveys and improved diagnostic methods of screening are discussed.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practices towards Leptospirosis among Lakeshore Communities of Calamba and Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines

“…Male respondents were less likely than female respondents to engage in leptospirosis prevention practices. This finding supports previous claims that leptospirosis is less prevalent in women because they engage in less risky behavior than men [42]. Being male is commonly cited as a risk factor for leptospirosis, and an excess of leptospirosis cases in men were often observed in previous studies [43,44].…”

Prevalencia de leptospirosis en adultos Chile, 2003

“…La prevalencia en población general también varía dependiendo del área geográfica que se estudie, pudiendo estar en alrededor de 1,2 a 6% en estudios recientes en poblaciones de América del Sur 2,3 . Por otro lado, se han realizado estudios de prevalencia los últimos 20 años, en grupos de población [4][5][6][7] , grupos de alto riesgo [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] y contactos de enfermos 16 , encontrándose resultados variables dependiendo de la zona y la ocupación, pero donde los factores de riesgo se repiten: exposición a aguas contaminadas, manipulación de animales, contacto con animales, regiones con inundaciones frecuentes y áreas pobres y rurales. Sin embargo, se estima que su magnitud está subestimada debido a su amplio espectro clínico y a la falta de métodos diagnósticos que sean sensibles y específicos 17 .…”

Human leptospirosis in the Seychelles (Indian Ocean): a population-based study.

“…1 The protean clinical manifestations of the disease make its diagnosis difficult, 2,3 particularly in tropical countries, 4 and laboratory support is essential for confirmation of the suspected cases. 3 Mild forms are often misdiagnosed or ignored, and high seroprevalence rates were found in various populations, e.g., 16% in the patients of a sexually transmitted disease clinic in Baltimore, Maryland, 5 11.1% in 30-39-year-old urban Italians, 6 and 1.1% in the general population of Réunion Island. 7 Severe forms are characterized by hepatic involvement, acute renal failure, and hemorrhagic complications and the mortality can reach 25%.…”