Gamage C D, Sykes J E, Athapattu T P J, Senerathne P, Karunadasa U, Fuward M, Herath T, Muthusinghe B D S, Yoshimatsu K, Koizumi N
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, USA.
Vet Med Sci. 2025 May;11(3):e70375. doi: 10.1002/vms3.70375.
Animal reservoir hosts that shed pathogenic leptospires represent a considerable public health risk because they lack clinical signs of illness that might prompt handling precautions. In Sri Lanka, dog ownership is widespread. Dogs reside within homes and interact closely with humans, but they also roam freely in surrounding neighbourhoods. Dogs that carry pathogenic leptospires represent a source of environmental contamination and infection of domestic and livestock animals, posing a greater public health issue. The objectives of this study were to isolate and molecularly characterise leptospires from the blood and urine of 20 apparently healthy companion dogs vaccinated for leptospirosis using a 2-serovar vaccine in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Urine and blood samples were subjected to culture for leptospires in an EMJH medium. Growth of pathogenic/intermediate-pathogenic leptospires was confirmed using nested PCR assays targeting the flaB gene of P1 and P2 Leptospira subclades. Three (15%) of 20 urine specimens and one (5%) of 20 blood cultures yielded leptospires. Phylogenetic analysis revealed L. interrogans and L. kmetyi (P1 subclade) in urine specimens and L. licerasiae (P2 subclade) in the blood. Thus, despite vaccination, dogs in Sri Lanka can shed viable pathogenic/intermediate-pathogenic leptospires, with associated public health implications.
携带致病性钩端螺旋体的动物储存宿主构成了相当大的公共卫生风险，因为它们没有可能促使采取处理预防措施的疾病临床症状。在斯里兰卡，养狗很普遍。狗生活在家庭中，与人类密切互动，但它们也在周边社区自由游荡。携带致病性钩端螺旋体的狗是环境污染以及家畜和牲畜感染的一个来源，构成了更大的公共卫生问题。本研究的目的是从斯里兰卡康提20只表面健康、接种了二价血清型钩端螺旋体疫苗的伴侣犬的血液和尿液中分离钩端螺旋体并进行分子特征分析。将尿液和血液样本接种于EMJH培养基中培养钩端螺旋体。使用针对问号钩端螺旋体P1和P2亚群flaB基因的巢式PCR检测法确认致病性/中间致病性钩端螺旋体的生长情况。20份尿液标本中有3份（15%）、20份血液培养物中有1份（5%）培养出钩端螺旋体。系统发育分析显示，尿液标本中有问号钩端螺旋体和克氏钩端螺旋体（P1亚群），血液中有利氏钩端螺旋体（P2亚群）。因此，尽管接种了疫苗，斯里兰卡的狗仍可排出有活力的致病性/中间致病性钩端螺旋体，这对公共卫生有影响。
