New Leptospira serovar Sokoine of serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae from cattle in Tanzania

Abstract

The prevalence of leptospirosis is generally high in domestic animals and rodents in Tanzania. Identification of Leptospira isolates from cattle was carried out to establish prevalent Leptospira serovars. Serological typing was done based on monoclonal antibodies and the standard cross-agglutination absorption test. Molecular typing involved pathogenic- and saprophytic-specific PCRs and a PCR specifically amplifying DNA from the species Leptospira kirschneri. DNA fingerprinting with primers derived from sequences of insertion elements IS1500 and IS1533 was carried out. Both serological and molecular characterization indicated that one of the Leptospira isolates, coded RM1, represents a new serovar of the species L. kirschneri of serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae. The serovar name Sokoine is proposed for this new Leptospira isolate.

Seroprevalence of Leptospira infection in bats roosting in human settlements in Morogoro municipality in Tanzania

“…Serovars Lora and Kenya had a low prevalence. These three serovars were previously reported in rodents and cattle from Morogoro (Machang'u et al, 2004;Mgode et al, 2006;Ahmed et al, 2006), suggesting that they are common serovars in this area. The high prevalence of local serovar Sokoine in bats suggest involvement of bats in transmission of leptospirosis to other animals in Morogoro confirming recent reports that bats are reservoirs of Leptospira and transmit these pathogens to other animals in Australia (Tulsiani et al, 2011).…”

“…A study from Uganda also shows high prevalence of leptospirosis in buffalos (42.39%) and cattle (29.35%) (Atherstone et al, 2013). In Tanzania, several Leptospira serovars including Sokoine, Kenya, Lora, Pomona, Canicola and Hebdomadis have been identified to infect rodents and domestic animals especially in Morogoro (Machang'u et al, 1997;Machang'u et al, 2004;Mgode et al, 2006;Ahmed et al, 2006). A recent report by Biggs et al (2011) also shows a high prevalence of leptospirosis in human patients with fevers in northern Tanzania.…”

Leptospira infections in freshwater fish in Morogoro Tanzania: a hidden public health threat

“…Isolation of Leptospira bacterium is needed for understanding the infecting serovars, which can be included in serodiagnosis of leptospirosis in humans and animals. The reported diversity of reservoir hosts of leptospirosis in Tanzania, namely rodents, bats, domestic animals (Machang'u et al, 1997;Machang'u et al, 2004;Mgode et al, 2006Mgode et al, , 2014 and the present report of Leptospira in fish indicate an urgent need for increasing public awareness of this emerging zoonotic disease in the country. Lack of awareness puts the vulnerable human populations engaged in irrigation farming, fishing, fish farming, livestock keeping and swimming in fresh water at high health risk.…”

“…Worker in these environments requires protective gears to prevent infection. Local Leptospira serovars Kenya and Sokoine that are the predominant serovars in rodents and cattle in Tanzania (Machang'u et al, 2004;Mgode et al, 2006) are also the predominant serovars in tilapia and catfish species. This indicates relatedness or sharing of Leptospira pathogens between terrestrial mammals such as rodents and cattle; and aquatic living organisms like fish found in same locality.…”

“…The disease has been reported in humans in Gabon (Bertherat et al, 1999), in small mammals from Benin (Houemenou et al, 2013) and in rodents and buffalos in Kenya and Uganda (Halliday et al, 2013;Atherstone et al, 2013). In Tanzania, leptospirosis has been widely reported with high prevalence in rodents, cattle, dogs, pigs, and recently in bats (Machang'u et al, 1997;Mgode et al, 2005;Ahmed et al, 2006;Mgode et al, 2006;Schoonman, 2007;Schoonman & Swai, 2010;Kessy et al, 2010;Mgode et al, 2014). In human, a prevalence of leptospirosis of 17.5% has been reported in Morogoro in eastern Tanzania (Machang'u, 2006) and nine percent of hospitalized people with non-malarial fevers in northern Tanzania (Biggs et al, 2011).…”