SEROPOSITIVITY TO LEPTOSPIROSIS IN DOMESTIC RESERVOIRS AND DETECTION OF Leptospira spp. IN WATER SOURCES, IN FARMS OF YUCATAN, MEXICO.

Abstract

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic infectious disease with a worldwide distribution. WHO classifies this disease as reemergent and it represents risk to human health with economical repercussion to animal reproduction. Leptospirosis occurs with higher frequency in countries with tropical weather. A transversal study was conducted to determine the frequency of infection of L. interrogans in 476 reservoir animals -212 bovines, 203 pigs, and 61 dogs) in 34 animal production units. Positivity frequency the reservoirs was 30.5%. 31 out of 34 animal units had positive reservoirs. The most frequent serovars were tarassovi (53.6%), and hardjo (31.6%) in cattle; bratislava (66%) and icterohaemorragiae (18.7%) in pigs; and canicola (79.8%) and icterohaemorragiae (9.8%) in dogs. 68 pools of water samples from water tanks were analyzed by DNA amplification of a 16S rRNA fragment for L. interrogans detection using Lepat1-Lepat2 primers. It is recommended to use preventive measures such as vaccination to domestic animals to reduce the risk of transmission to the human population.