SEROPOSITIVITY TO LEPTOSPIROSIS IN DOMESTIC RESERVOIRS AND DETECTION OF Leptospira spp. FROM 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 a 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 in 35 animal production units to determine the frequency of infection of L. interrogans in 476 reservoir animals: 212 bovines, 203 pigs, and 61 dogs. Positivity frequency in 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.