biostudies-literatureUea-Anuwong TCity University of Hong Kong101158https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12354790biostudies-literatureUnknown21Leptospirosis is a zoonotic bacterial disease that has a global impact on human and animal health. Rats are known as natural reservoirs of pathogenic <i>Leptospira</i> species. In the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), the infection status of peridomestic rat species is not known. In this study, 250 rats belonging to four species (<i>Rattus norvegicus</i>, <i>R. tanezumi</i>, <i>R. andamanensis</i>, and <i>Niviventer huang</i>) were sampled from different ecological habitats across Hong Kong SAR in 2019, 2020, and 2022. The DNA extracted from the kidney tissues of the rats were screened using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the pathogen-specific leptospiral gene <i>lipL32</i>. The positive samples were then confirmed by PCR targeting the <i>lfb-1</i> gene and were furtherOne health (Amsterdam, Netherlands)Detection of pathogenic <i>Leptospira</i> spp. in peridomestic <i>Rattus norvegicus</i> in Hong Kong.PMC123547909610449Uea-Anuwong TThibeaux RLi FMagouras IWen CQing HfalseDetection of pathogenic <i>Leptospira</i> spp. in peridomestic <i>Rattus norvegicus</i> in Hong Kong.Leptospirosis is a zoonotic bacterial disease that has a global impact on human and animal health. Rats are known as natural reservoirs of pathogenic <i>Leptospira</i> species. In the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), the infection status of peridomestic rat species is not known. In this study, 250 rats belonging to four species (<i>Rattus norvegicus</i>, <i>R. tanezumi</i>, <i>R. andamanensis</i>, and <i>Niviventer huang</i>) were sampled from different ecological habitats across Hong Kong SAR in 2019, 2020, and 2022. The DNA extracted from the kidney tissues of the rats were screened using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the pathogen-specific leptospiral gene <i>lipL32</i>. The positive samples were then confirmed by PCR targeting the <i>lfb-1</i> gene and were further2025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 Dec2026-04-08T15:48:54.745Z2026-04-08T05:36:05.561ZS-EPMC123547904082231710.1016/j.onehlt.2025.101158