Seroprevalence of leptospirosis in various categories of dogs in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

The increasing number of stray dogs and the lack of sufficient data on the prevalence of leptospirosis among dogs were the main reasons for conducting this research in different populations of dogs on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. A total of 300 serum samples were tested from three different categories of dogs of various breeds from 12 cities. Twelve leptospiral serovars were used in the microscopic agglutination test (MAT). The presence of specific antibodies was confirmed for eight serovars. The proportion of seropositive dogs was 22.3% (67/300). The highest seropositivity (n = 38; 42.7%) was found for the serovar Pomona. The seropositivity rates found for the other serovars tested were as follow: Canicola (14.6%), Icterohaemorrhagiae (13.5%), Sejroe (12.4%), Autumnalis (12.4%), Grippotyphosa (2.2%), Bratislava (1.1%), and Australis (1.1%). The highest number of positive responses was obtained at the serum dilution of 1:100 (39.3%, n = 35). The highest number of positive reactions was identified in the category of 'house dogs' (29.3%, 29/99) followed by 'stray dogs' (21.6%, 24/111), while the lowest number of positive tests was recorded in the category of 'guard/ hunting dogs' (15.6%, 14/90). Vaccination with tetravalent vaccines, including the serovars Icterohaemorrhagiae, Canicola, Pomona and Grippotyphosa could be an effective measure for the prevention of canine leptospirosis.

Seroprevalence of serovars of pathogenic leptospira in dogs and red foxes (Vulpes Vulpes) from bosnia and herzegovina

“…Also, in 2014, more dogs were found (53.84%) with an antibody titer ≥1/800 than in the next two years (22.22% and 28.57% in 2015 and 2016, respectively). In the current study, the seroprevalence determined in 2016 was in accordance with the average seroprevalence of canine leptospirosis determined in the Federation of BiH [14,17]. In neighboring countries with similar ecological environments and socioeconomic and agricultural systems, the seroprevalence in dogs ranged from 37.7% in Croatia [19] to 5.45% in Serbia [21].…”

“…In our study, the ten serovars used were those most often registered in some parts of BiH and neighboring countries [14,17,18]. Also, when selecting serovars based on antibody prevalence data in dogs in Europe, other researchers had advised that serogroups Australis, Autumnalis, Canicola, Grippotiphosa, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Pomona and Sejroe should be included in the antigen panel test [19].…”

“…There is an obvious difference in the prevalence of infectious serovars in relation to the situation in the Federation of BiH, where in two studies the dominant serovar was Pomona, Icterrohaemorhagiae and Sejroe. In both studies, serovars Bratislava and Australis were rarely detected [14,17] In the surrounding countries, in Croatia and Serbia, the most common serovars in the dog population were: Pomona, Grippotyphosa and Icterohaemorrhagiae [20,21].…”

“…One study indicated the crossreactivity of serovars Bratislava and Australis belonging to the same serogroup, as well as the fact that in dogs infected with Australis serogroup Leptospira, the highest titer occurred in the case of serovar Bratislava [23]. Serovar Autumnalis was among the four most common serovars in dogs and foxes in the Republic of Srpska (45.09%), while in the Federation of BiH, it was registered in only 12.4% of dogs [14]. Infection with serovar Autumnalis is thoug ht to occur in dogs, but in the absence of isolates, cross-reactivity with serotype Pomona is believed to be possible [24].…”

“…The presence of leptospirosis in cattle, pigs, sheep and dogs has been studied to a limited extent in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but for many geographic areas, there are no data on territorial distribution, number of infected animals or the presence of Leptospira spp. serotypes that cause infections in animals [14]. In Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH, which comprises two entities), data on the seroprevalence of canine leptospirosis exist for the entity of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while in the entity of the Republic of Srpska, these tests have not been conducted and no data exists.…”