Leptospirosis in Man, Israel, 1970–1979

Abstract

In 1970-1979, the incidence of human leptospirosis in Israel was 0.7 per 100,000 population. The majority of the cases (62%) occurred in northeastern Israel (Upper Galilee). Prior to 1973 the main infecting serotypes were grippotyphosa (41%) and Hebdomadis szwajizak (31%). Following the first outbreak of Hebdomadis hardjo infection in 1973, a change occurred in the epidemiologic pattern of human leptospirosis, with hardjo becoming the most common serotype (59%). Hardjo infection outbreaks were sporadic and localized to dairy farms. The peak of incidence was during the summer months, June-September. All the patients with hardjo were dairy workers. The illness was relatively mild and mostly unicteric. Cattle seemed to be the principal source of hardjo infection for man.

Assessment of the Clinical Presentation and Treatment of 353 Cases of Laboratory‐Confirmed Leptospirosis in Hawaii, 1974–1998

“…The Nicaraguan epidemic was associated with the Canicola serogroup [42]. Although infection with serovars from the Icterohemorrhagiae serogroup has been reported to be associated with increased disease severity [35,43], a number of published case series have questioned the relationship between infecting serogroups and disease severity [32,44,45]. In the current series, a clear association between infection with Icterohemorrhagiae and increased severity of illness was demonstrated (table 2).…”

“…The majority of case series published elsewhere either contained all case reports in their analysis, including those without laboratory confirmation [29,30], or utilized a variety of less specific case definitions for the purposes of confirmation [31][32][33][34][35][36]. The use of consistent laboratory criteria allow for valid comparisons between clinical and epidemiologic patterns of leptospirosis in different populations [2].…”

Zoonotic infections in Northern Ireland farmers

“…These infections were predominantly with the serovar icterohaemorrhagiae with the classical symptoms of meningitis, nephritis and hepatitis. Now in the United Kingdom [6,7], as in New Zealand [8] and Israel [9], the Sejroe strain from cattle (serovar hardjo) is the one most commonly reported and is associated more frequently with influenza-like symptoms. A study of farmers in different parts of England [6] showed that 5 % of 709 blood samples had antibody to serovar hardjo % in dairy farmers, [3][4][5][6][7] % in beef producers and 1'6 % in arable farmers).…”

Leptospirosis in Hawaii, 1974-1998: epidemiologic analysis of 353 laboratory-confirmed cases.

“…32,33 The majority of previously published case series either included all case reports in their analysis, including those without laboratory confirmation, 59,60 or used a variety of less specific case definitions for the purposes of confirmation, including a single MAT titer Ն 1:100, 58,62 any increase or decrease in titer against one or more serotypes, 58 MAT seroconversion (a negative result in the first serum sample and a titer Ն 1:100 in the second sample), 72,73 an MAT titer Ͼ 1:200 with an increase/decrease in a subsequent serum specimen, 74 a single MAT titer Ն 1:400, 72 or a single MAT titer Ͼ 1:400. 75 It is important to differentiate confirmed from probable, presumptive, or suspect cases to optimally characterize leptospirosis epidemiologically. The use of consistent diagnostic criteria is also necessary to allow for valid comparisons between different cases series.…”