Genetic diversity of Leptospira interrogans circulating isolates and vaccine strains in China from 1954–2014

et al. 2019

PLoS Negl Trop Dis

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Background Leptospirosis is one of the most important neglected tropical bacterial diseases worldwide. However, there is limited information on the genetic diversity and host selectivity of pathogenic Leptospira in wild small mammal populations. Methodology/Principal findings Jiangxi Province, located in southern China, is a region highly endemic for leptospirosis. In this study, among a total of 3,531 trapped rodents dominated by Apodemus agrarius (59.7%), 330 Leptospira strains were successfully isolated from six different sites in Jiangxi between 2002 and 2015. Adding 71 local strains from humans, various kinds of livestock and wild animals in Jiangxi, a total of 401 epidemic strains were characterized using 16S rRNA gene senquencing, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and the microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Among them, the most prevalent serogroup was Icterohaemorrhagiae (61.10%), followed by Javanica (19.20%) and Australis (9.73%); the remaining five serogroups, Canicola, Autumnalis, Grippotyphosa, Hebdomadis and Pomona, accounted for 9.97%. Species identification revealed that 325 were L . interrogans and 76 were L . borgpetersenii . Moreover, L . interrogans was the only pathogenic species in Fuliang and Shanggao and was predominant in Shangrao (95.0%); L . borgpetersenii was the most common in the remaining three sites. Twenty-one sequence types (STs) were identified. Similarly, ST1 and serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae were most prevalent in Shangrao (86.0% and 86.4%) and Fuliang (90.4% and 90.4%), ST143 and serogroup Javanica in Shangyou (88.5% and 90.4%) and Longnan (73.1% and 73.1%), and ST105 and serogroup Australis in Shanggao (46.3% and 56.1%). Serogroup Icterohaemorhagiae primarily linked to A . agrarius (86.9%), serogroup Canicola to dogs (83.3%). There were significant differences in the distribution of leptospiral species/serogroups/STs prevalence across host species/collected locations among the 394 animal-associated strains (Fisher’s exact test, p<0.001). Conclusions/Significance Our study demonstrated high genetic diversity of pathogenic Leptospira strains from wild small animals in Jiangxi from 2002 to 2015. A . agrarius was the most abundantly trapped animal reservoir, and serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae and ST1 were the most dominant in Jiangxi. Significant geographic variation and host diversity in the distribution of dominant species, STs and serogroups were observed. Moreover, rat-to-human transmission might play a crucial role in the circulation of Leptospirosis ...

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic characteristics of pathogenic Leptospira in wild small animals and livestock in Jiangxi Province, China, 2002–2015

et al. 2019

PLoS Negl Trop Dis

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“…Leptospirosis, caused by pathogenic spirochaetes of the genus Leptospira ( L. interrogans , L. kirschneri , L. borgpetersenii , L. santarosai , L. noguchii , L. weilii , L. alexanderi , L. alstoni and L. kmetyi ), is one of the most important neglected zoonotic diseases worldwide and is most commonly found in tropical and subtropical countries, especially in Southeast Asia (Dittrich et al, ; Divers, Chang, Irby, Smith, & Carter, ; He et al, ; Xu et al, ; Zhang, Li, et al, ). Most regions within China have reported outbreaks within the last 30 years, particularly in the southern provinces, constituting a public health threat (Dhewantara et al, ; Li et al, ; Zhang et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to the data available from the websites of Ministry of Health of China and Public Health Science Data Center of The People's Republic of China (http://www.moh.gov.cn; http://www.phsciencedata.cn/Share/en/index.jsp), the total number of confirmed leptospirosis cases was higher during the 1990–2000 period than in the following decade. Efforts to educate the public, changes in agricultural practices, and improvements in living standard and sanitation in the rural areas are crucial in bringing down morbidity and mortality rates of leptospirosis in China over the last 35 years (Zhang, Li, et al, ; Zhang, Wang, et al, ). In recent decades, leptospirosis has become a significant re‐emerging infectious disease in many countries (He et al, ; Holla et al, ; Kitashoji et al, ; Lee, Miki, Kitagawa, & Lee, ; Loan et al, ; Sasmal et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Rural populations, urban slum dwellers, workers, travellers to endemic or posted to tropical areas, and farmers are considered to be high‐risk populations (Zhang, Wang, et al, ). Although the incidence of leptospirosis has shown a significant decline in recent years, small‐scale local outbreaks and high prevalence of leptospirosis have been recently reported in some endemic regions of China (Zhang, Li, et al, ; Zhang, Wang, et al, ; Zhang et al, ). Thus, leptospirosis remains an important public health problem domestically (Dhewantara et al, ; Zhang, Wang, et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Leptospirosis trends in China, 2007–2018: A retrospective observational study

Zhu

et al. 2019

Transbound Emerg Dis

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Leptospirosis is one of the most common and neglected tropical waterborne diseases in China, causing serious economic losses, and constituting a significant public health threat. Leptospirosis has recently received increased attention and is considered a reemerging infectious disease in many countries. The incidence of leptospirosis among people suggests that occupation, age, season, sex and water recreational activities are significant risk factors. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological profiles of leptospirosis in China during the 2007-2018 period. The morbidity data of leptospirosis by age, season (month), gender, occupation and geographic location (different provinces) were obtained from the public health science data centre of China for subsequent epidemiological analysis. The results indicate that the incidence of leptospirosis has shown a slow downward trend from 2007 to 2018, but morbidity rates were still relatively high (0.0660-0.0113). The incidence of leptospirosis varied in different provinces of China; cases localized mainly to the Southern and Central provinces, areas with warm weather and ample rainfall. Older people (aged 60-75), males, farmers, students and field workers were high-risk populations. During the 2007-2018 observation period, morbidity rates increased beginning in May, remained at high levels in August and September and decreased after November. The present investigation highlights the re-emergence of leptospirosis in some provinces of China (especially in Yunnan and Fujian) and shows that leptospirosis remains a serious public health threat. The results of this study should enhance measures taken for the prevention, control, and surveillance of leptospirosis in China.

“…11 Because inactivated vaccines induce serogroup-specific immunity, the epidemiology of Leptospira must be monitored to guide the production of appropriate vaccines. Although the predominant serogroups have been consistent in China and old vaccine strains are still in use, 12,13 whether current circulating strains belong to the same serogroup as the vaccine strain isolated in the 1950s is unknown.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative genomic analysis of Chinese human leptospirosis vaccine strain and circulating isolate

Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics

Zhou

et al. 2020

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Leptospira interrogans serogroup Canicola is one of the most important pathogens causing leptospirosis and is used as a vaccine strain of the current Chinese human leptospirosis vaccine. To characterize leptospiral pathogens, L. interrogans serogroup Canicola vaccine strain 611 and circulating isolate LJ178 from different hosts at different periods were sequenced using a combined strategy of Illumina X10 and PacBio technologies, and a comprehensive comparative analysis with other published Leptospira strains was conducted in this study. High levels of genomic similarities were observed between vaccine strain 611 and circulating isolate LJ178; both had two circular chromosomes and two circular extrachromosomal replicons. Compared with the strain 611 genome, 132 single nucleotide polymorphisms and 92 indels were found in strain LJ178. The larger lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis locus of serogroup Canicola was identified in both genomes. The phylogenetic analysis based on whole-genome sequences revealed that serogroup Canicola was not restricted to a specific host or geographic location, suggesting adaptive evolution associated with the ecologic diversity. In summary, our findings provide insights into a better molecular understanding of the component strains of human leptospirosis vaccine in China. Furthermore, these data detail the genetic composition and evolutionary relatedness of Leptospira strains that pose a health risk to humans.