Leptospiral antibodies in wild living animals from North Tyrol.

The authors examined serologically 623 wild living animals (22 species) from North Tyrol for the incidence of leptospirosis. Positive reactions (MAL) in the titre 1: 100 and more were found in 4.5% of the animals examined; the serotypes concerned were these: icterohaemorrhagiae, sorex-jalna, castellonis or arboreae, grippotyphosa, bratislava, pomona, sejroe, saxkoebing. Positive reactions were obtained with the sera of Sorex araneus, Erinaceus europaeus, Putorius putorius, Vulpes vulpes, Cervus elaphus, Capreolus capreolus, Rupicapra rupicapra, Apodemus sp., Clethrionomys glareolus. The serotypes forming natural foci of leptospirosis in North Tyrol are these: sorex-jalna, grippotyphosa, bratislava, saxkoebing and, apparently, jalna. Synanthropic foci are formed by icterohaemorrhagiae or copenhageni and sejroe.