Leptospiral shedding and seropositivity in shelter dogs in the Cumberland Gap Region of Southeastern Appalachia.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Leptospirosis, caused by pathogenic Leptospira spp., is a zoonotic infection that affects humans, dogs and many other mammalian species. Virtually any mammalian species can act as asymptomatic reservoir, characterized by chronic renal carriage and shedding of a host-adapted leptospiral serovar. Environmental contamination by chronic shedders results in acquisition of infection by humans and susceptible animals.

Methods

In this study, we investigated if clinically normal shelter dogs and cats harbor leptospires in their kidneys by screening urine samples for the presence of leptospiral DNA by a TaqMan based-quantitative PCR (qPCR) that targets pathogen-associated lipl32 gene. To identify the infecting leptospiral species, a fragment of leptospiral rpoB gene was PCR

SUBMITTER: Spangler D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6992200 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature