Quantification of pathogenic Leptospira in the soils of a Brazilian urban slum.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Leptospirosis is an important zoonotic disease that causes considerable morbidity and mortality globally, primarily in residents of urban slums. While contact with contaminated water plays a critical role in the transmission of leptospirosis, little is known about the distribution and abundance of pathogenic Leptospira spp. in soil and the potential contribution of this source to human infection.

Methods/principal findings

We collected soil samples (n = 70) from three sites within an urban slum community endemic for leptospirosis in Salvador, Brazil. Using qPCR of Leptospira genes lipl32 and 16S rRNA, we quantified the pathogenic Leptospira load in each soil sample. lipl32 qPCR detected pathogenic Leptospira in 22 (31%) of 70 samples, though the median concentrati

SUBMITTER: Schneider AG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5906024 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature