Myers D M, Caparo A C, Moreno J P
Bull Pan Am Health Organ. 1977;11(2):131-9.
A serologic, bacteriologic, and histopathologic examination for leptospires was carried out on 89 armadillos (Chaetophractus villosus) from Argentina. Forty-seven per cent of the serum samples yielded positive results when tested by microscopic-agglutination. Predominant agglutination reactions were to the Hebdomadis and Bataviae serogroups. A total of 15 Leptospira isolations (from 16.8 per cent of the animals tested) were obtained from kidney tisse. Nine of the isolates were identified as belonging to the Bataviae group serotypes argentiniensis, paidjan, or bataviae; three other isolates proved to be the Canicola group serotype canicola; two others were Leptospira biflexa strains; and the last isolate was found to be serotype hardjo of the Hebdomadis group. The latter finding represents the first isolation of serotype hardjo from this animal species. Histopathologic examination of kidneys from 11 of the animals yielding pathogenic leptospires permitted a diagnosis of interstitial nephritis. This intersitial nephritis, presenting the characteristic picture of lymphoid infiltration, appeared intense in two animals, moderate in five others, and only slight in the remaining four. These histopathologic findings of chronic nephritis, combined with the high positive serologic and cultural isolation rates, suggest that the armadillo is an important natural reservoir-host for pathogenic leptospirae.
对来自阿根廷的89只犰狳（长毛犰狳）进行了钩端螺旋体的血清学、细菌学和组织病理学检查。当通过显微镜凝集试验检测时，47%的血清样本呈阳性结果。主要的凝集反应针对七日热群和巴达维亚群血清型。从肾脏组织中总共分离出15株钩端螺旋体（占受试动物的16.8%）。其中9株分离株被鉴定为属于巴达维亚群血清型阿根廷型、派吉安型或巴达维亚型；另外3株分离株被证明是犬型群血清型犬型；还有2株是双曲钩端螺旋体菌株；最后1株分离株被发现是七日热群的哈焦型血清型。后一发现代表了该动物物种中首次分离出哈焦型血清型。对11只产生致病性钩端螺旋体的动物的肾脏进行组织病理学检查，诊断为间质性肾炎。这种间质性肾炎表现为淋巴细胞浸润的特征性图像，在2只动物中表现强烈，在另外5只动物中表现中等，在其余4只动物中仅表现轻微。这些慢性肾炎的组织病理学发现，加上高阳性血清学和培养分离率，表明犰狳是致病性钩端螺旋体的重要自然储存宿主。
