[Occurrence of Leptospira antibodies in the blood of game animals].

The blood serum of game was examined for the presence of antibodies to Leptospiras in 1987-1989. A total of 792 blood sera from animals belonging to 14 zoo-species were examined (Tab. I). The blood serum of red deer (Cervus elephus) was examined the most often within the group of animals, in 398 cases, i.e. 50.2%, followed by 165 blood sera of wild boar (Sus scrofa), representing 20.8%, and by 136 blood sera of roedeer (Capreolus capreolus), representing 18.6%. Small numbers of blood sera of the other animals were examined. A serological reaction of microagglutination-lysion revealed the antibodies to Leptospiras in fifty examined samples, i.e. 6.31%, of the six examined zoo-species: muskrat (Ondatra zibethica) 14.28%, wild boar (Sus scrofa) 13.93%, roedeer (Capreolus capreolus) 6.76%, fox (Vulpes vulpes) 5.26%, red deer (Cervus elephus) 3.76%, mouflon (Ovis musimon) 2.50%. No antibodies to Leptospiras were found in the blood serum of the other animal species (Tab. I). Twelve strains of Leptospira were used for serological examination according to the standard method (Sebek, 1979). The examined blood sera of game reacted only with Leptospiras of the serotype L. grippotyphosa. No reaction with other Leptospira serotypes was observed. Our results have demonstrated, in comparison with the results of foreign authors, great susceptibility of the game to infection with different serotypes of Leptospira. But it is possible to say that with certain exceptions these game species do not play an important role in the epidemiology of Leptospirosis.