RESUMEN
Leptospirosis is an under-reported and emerging zoonotic disease which is potentially fatal in humans. Rodents are the main reservoirs for pathogenic Leptospira spp., but diagnosis in these animals is difficult, and their infection, which does not induce symptoms, usually goes unoticed. Although the exposures of most human cases of leptospirosis are poorly documented, we were able to identify six human cases of leptospirosis which were associated with direct contact with pet rodents (mice or rats) in Belgium and France between 2009 and 2016. All cases had severe disease and for all, the presence of Leptospira spp. DNA in the kidneys of their pet animals was confirmed, strongly suggesting that excretion of leptospires in urine was the way of transmission. Half of the cases shared the serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae, which is usually associated with severe disease, with the pet rats which they were in contact with. With the popularity of rats and mice as pets, this study should contribute to raising awareness on asymptomatic pet rodents as a source of Leptospira infections.
Asunto(s)
Leptospira/genética , Leptospirosis/microbiología , Mascotas , Enfermedades de los Roedores/microbiología , Roedores/microbiología , Adulto , Animales , Bélgica/epidemiología , Ensayo de Inmunoadsorción Enzimática , Femenino , Francia/epidemiología , Genotipo , Técnicas de Genotipaje , Humanos , Leptospira/clasificación , Leptospira/aislamiento & purificación , Leptospirosis/sangre , Leptospirosis/diagnóstico , Leptospirosis/epidemiología , Masculino , Notificación Obligatoria , Ratones , Persona de Mediana Edad , Ratas , Estudios Retrospectivos , Enfermedades de los Roedores/orina , Serogrupo , Serotipificación , Zoonosis/diagnósticoRESUMEN
Although most French dogs are correctly vaccinated against leptospirosis with inactivated strains of canicola and icterohaemorrhagiae, the disease is still very prevalent in France raising the question of whether the vaccines used require updating. The aim of the present study was to provide serological data regarding circulation of the Leptospira serovars: grippotyphosa, bratislava, pomona and mozdok, which are contained in vaccines available in other parts of the world and which could be rapidly adapted for France. Results indicated that the epidemiology was consistent with the circulation of Leptospira belonging to the serogroups Australis and Grippotyphosa and that the case to support the inclusion of either pomona or mozdok in a dog vaccine for France was weak.