Seroprevalence of Leptospira in dogs in Grenada, West Indies.

ABSTRACT

Leptospira bacteria infect numerous species of animals and cause serious disease in both dogs and humans. Leptospirosis is caused by many different serovars and canine vaccine protection is serovar-specific. The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence and serovars of Leptospira in dogs in the island of Grenada, West Indies. Serum samples from 105 dogs were evaluated by the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) and by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method adapted for canine Immunoglobulin M(IgM). Sera from 20 dogs were positive by MAT (195) and 67 were positive by ELISA (64.0%). All MAT-positive sera were also ELISA-positive. Percent seropositive did not differ significantly by age, sex or health score of dog or among the 6 parishes of Grenada. Fourteen of the MAT positive samples had anitbodies for multiple Leptospira serovars. All but one of the identified serovars were from the Icterohaemorrhagiae serogroup and included in decreasing order of frequency copenhagen, mankarso and icterohaemorrhagiae RGA. One dog was identified with antibodies for sergroup Pyrogenes serovar pyrogenes. Identification of the Leptospira serovars responsible for canine exposure in Grenada will facilitate appropriate recommendations for canine vacccination on the island.