A systematic review on leptospirosis in cattle: a European perspective

Abstract

Background: Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease which is globally distributed. Bovine leptospirosis often results in economic losses through its severe impact on reproduction performance. However, a clear overview of the disease characteristics in European cattle is lacking. The objective of this review was to summarise the current knowledge and state of the research on the epidemiology of bovine leptospirosis in Europe. Methodology: We conducted a systematic literature review following the PRISMA guidelines. We screened four electronic databases (Pubmed, Web of Science, Scopus, CABI) and included studies published between 2001 and 2021, in English, German, and French. Identified papers were filtered according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: Sixty-two studies were included. Reported seroprevalences were remarkably variable among studies, probably reflecting local variations but also heterogeneity in the study designs, laboratory methods, and sample sizes. The five most reported circulating serogroups in European cattle were Sejroe, Australis, Grippotyphosa, Icterohaemorrhagiae, and Pomona. Abortion and fertility disorders were the most frequently reported signs of leptospirosis in European cattle and were generally associated with chronic infections. The acute form primarily affected juveniles and foetuses. Risk factors positively associated with leptospirosis in cattle were diverse, related to environmental (e.g. geographic location), climatic (e.g. flooding), and medical (e.g. presence of other diseases) parameters, as well as farming practices (e.g. purchase policy, herd size) and individual factors (e.g. animal age and breed). Conclusions: Clinical features of bovine leptospirosis in Europe cover a large range of signs and confirmation of infection requires laboratory tests. The epidemiology of the disease is very local, most probably influenced by context-specific factors. This work highlights several research gaps, including a lack of research data from several countries, a lack of methodological harmonisation, a lack of large-scale studies, an underrepresentation of beef herds in the studies, and a lack of molecular investigations.

Molecular Characterization of Leptospira Species Detected in the Kidneys of Slaughtered Livestock in Abattoirs in Gauteng Province, South Africa

“…Although serological evaluations typically return a higher prevalence for leptospirosis than isolation or PCR [ 28 , 39 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 ], we concluded that serological evaluations do not accurately estimate active infection or carrier status, and they may not demonstrate pathogen shedding [ 49 , 50 , 51 ]. Optimizing the isolation protocol for Leptospira spp.…”