Schoonman L, Swai Emanuel Senyael
Tanga Dairy Trust (TADAT), Box 1720, Tanga, Tanzania.
Trop Anim Health Prod. 2010 Oct;42(7):1565-72. doi: 10.1007/s11250-010-9607-1. Epub 2010 Jun 3.
Leptospirosis is the zoonosis of worldwide distribution and common cause of economic loss and ill health among animals and human populations. A cross-sectional seroprevalence study, using a microscopic agglutination test (MAT) with a threshold titre of >or=1:160, to elucidate disease magnitude, distribution and associated risk factors in cattle in Tanga, Tanzania was conducted from May 2003 to January 2004. Serum (n = 655) samples collected from randomly selected herds (n = 130) were tested for antibodies against four different Leptospira interrogans serovars (Bataviae, Tarassovi, Hardjo and Pomona) used in the agglutination test. Positive titres were detected in 30.3% [95% confidence intervals (CI) = 26.7-33.9] of cattle and 58.5% (95% CI = 49.5-67.1) of herds, respectively. Of the 198 MAT positive serum samples, 98 (49.5%) were positive against serovar Hardjo, 80 (40.4%) were positive against serovar Tarassovi, 12 (6.1%) was positive against serovar Bataviae and eight (4%) were positive against serovar Pomona. Associations found to be statistically significant in univariate analyses (at P < 0.1) were assessed by multivariable logistic regression to control for confounding factors. The results showed that risk factors for cattle were pasture grazing [odd ratio (OR) = 2.83, 95% CI = 1.57-5.12, P = 0.001], presence of goats/sheep on the farm (OR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.17-2.56, P = 0.001) and age of the animal (OR = 2.05, 95% CI = 1.42-2.96, P = 0.001), while concrete floor housing was protective (OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.30-0.74, P = 0.001). Herds managed under pasture grazing system were more likely to be sero-positive than those managed under zero grazed practices (OR = 9.31; 95% CI = 3.67-23.64 for grazing herd). We concluded that bovine leptospirosis is an endemic and locally widespread disease in Tanga and suggest that it may play a role in zoonotic transmission to humans.
钩端螺旋体病是一种在全球范围内分布的人畜共患病，是造成动物和人类经济损失及健康问题的常见原因。2003年5月至2004年1月，在坦桑尼亚的坦噶进行了一项横断面血清流行率研究，采用显微镜凝集试验（MAT），阈值滴度≥1:160，以阐明疾病的严重程度、分布及相关危险因素。从随机选取的130个牛群中采集了655份血清样本，检测其针对凝集试验中使用的四种不同问号钩端螺旋体血清型（巴达维亚型、塔拉索夫型、哈焦型和波摩那型）的抗体。分别在30.3%[95%置信区间（CI）=26.7 - 33.9]的牛和58.5%（95%CI = 49.5 - 67.1）的牛群中检测到阳性滴度。在198份MAT阳性血清样本中，98份（49.5%）针对哈焦血清型呈阳性，80份（40.4%）针对塔拉索夫血清型呈阳性，12份（6.1%）针对巴达维亚血清型呈阳性，8份（4%）针对波摩那血清型呈阳性。在单变量分析中发现具有统计学意义（P < 0.1）的关联因素，通过多变量逻辑回归进行评估以控制混杂因素。结果表明，牛感染钩端螺旋体病的危险因素包括放牧[比值比（OR）= 2.83，95%CI = 1.57 - 5.12，P = 0.001]、农场中有山羊/绵羊（OR = 1.73，95%CI = 1.17 - 2.56，P = 0.001）以及动物年龄（OR = 2.05，95%CI = 1.42 - 2.96，P = 0.001），而水泥地面圈舍具有保护作用（OR = 0.47，95%CI = 0.30 - 0.74，P = 0.001）。采用放牧系统管理的牛群比采用零放牧管理的牛群更易出现血清学阳性（放牧牛群的OR = 9.31；95%CI = 3.67 - 23.64）。我们得出结论，牛钩端螺旋体病在坦噶是一种地方流行且局部广泛传播的疾病，并表明它可能在人畜共患病传播给人类的过程中起作用。
