Dataset Information

Molecular Epidemiology of Pathogenic Leptospira spp. Infecting Dogs in Latin America.

ABSTRACT: Canine leptospirosis is a bacterial disease caused by spirochetes of the genus Leptospira. Infections can vary from asymptomatic and chronic infections to clinical acute diseases. The disease is endemic in tropical areas, such as Latin American countries, but a broad understanding of the dynamics of circulation of strains, based on molecular data, has not yet been performed. Based on in silico analyses, the present study aims to analyze the genetic diversity and circulation patterns of haplotypes from pathogenic leptospires infecting dogs in Latin America. DNA sequences were obtained from GenBank platform, curated, and aligned. Genetic distances were calculated, and a maximum likelihood tree and haplotype network were constructed. According to the inclusion criteria adopted, a total of 148 sequences were identified. Most of the records were from Brazil, including sequences from L. interrogans serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae. Phylogenetic analysis showed a genetically closely related cluster, consisting of a larger haplogroup that includes the reference strain Fiocruz L1-130, known to be the major circulating strain in humans. Moreover, no genetic variations were observed according to clinical history and/or geographical localization. We described the molecular epidemiology of leptospires circulating among dogs in Latin America and demonstrated a very genetically homogeneous group, elucidating its ubiquitous circulation pattern and drawing attention to the important role of dogs in the One Health transmission dynamics of leptospirosis.

SUBMITTER: Di Azevedo MIN

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10417440 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Molecular Epidemiology of Pathogenic <i>Leptospira</i> spp. Infecting Dogs in Latin America.

Di Azevedo Maria Isabel Nogueira MIN Aymée Luiza L Borges Ana Luiza Dos Santos Baptista ALDSB Lilenbaum Walter W

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI 20230727 15

Canine leptospirosis is a bacterial disease caused by spirochetes of the genus <i>Leptospira</i>. Infections can vary from asymptomatic and chronic infections to clinical acute diseases. The disease is endemic in tropical areas, such as Latin American countries, but a broad understanding of the dynamics of circulation of strains, based on molecular data, has not yet been performed. Based on in silico analyses, the present study aims to analyze the genetic diversity and circulation patterns of ha ...[more]

PMID: 37570231

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Project description:Shedding of DNA of pathogenic Leptospira spp. has been documented in naturally infected cats in several countries, but urinary shedding of infectious Leptospira spp. has only recently been proven. The climate in Southern Chile is temperate rainy with high annual precipitations which represents ideal preconditions for survival of Leptospira spp., especially during spring and summer. The aims of this study were to investigate shedding of pathogenic Leptospira spp. in outdoor cats in Southern Chile, to perform molecular characterization of isolates growing in culture, and to assess potential risk factors associated with shedding. Urine samples of 231 outdoor cats from rural and urban areas in southern Chile were collected. Urine samples were investigated for pathogenic Leptospira spp. by 4 techniques: qPCR targeting the lipL32 gene, immunomagnetic separation (IMS)-coupled qPCR (IMS-qPCR), direct culture and IMS-coupled culture. Positive urine cultures were additionally confirmed by PCR. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was used to molecularly characterize isolates obtained from positive cultures. Overall, 36 urine samples (15.6%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 11.4-20.9) showed positive results. Eighteen (7.8%, 95% CI 4.9-12.1), 30 (13%, 95% CI 9.2-18), 3 (1.3%, 0.3-3.9) and 4 cats (1.7%; 95% CI 0.5-4.5) were positive in qPCR, IMS-qPCR, conventional culture, and IMS-coupled culture, respectively. MLST results of 7 culture-positive cats revealed sequences that could be assigned to sequence type 17 (6 cats) and sequence type 27 (1 cat) corresponding to L. interrogans (Pathogenic Leptospira Subgroup 1). Shedding of pathogenic Leptospira spp. by cats might be an underestimated source of infection for other species including humans. The present study is the first one reporting growth of leptospires from feline urine in culture in naturally infected cats in South-America and characterisation of culture-derived isolates. So far, very few cases of successful attempts to culture leptospires from naturally infected cats are described worldwide.

Dataset Information

Molecular Epidemiology of Pathogenic Leptospira spp. Infecting Dogs in Latin America.

Publications

Molecular Epidemiology of Pathogenic <i>Leptospira</i> spp. Infecting Dogs in Latin America.

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