Seroepidemiology and molecular characterization of leptospirosis in Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

Leptospirosis the world wide zoonosis is considered as re-emerging disease. Besides economic losses caused by leptospira to animal production, its zoonotic character makes it an important public health problem. Due to the endemicity of the disease in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka the adjoining states of Andhra Pradesh and absence of detailed information on leptospirosis in the state, the present work was planed to study seroepidemiology, isolation, characterization of leptospira and development of inactivated adjuvanted vaccine and to asses immune response in rabbits. newlineThe seroepidemiological study conducted using MAT on 2320 serum samples collected from apparently healthy cattle, sheep, goat, dogs and pigs revealed 20.9 percent positivity. Similarly 33.37 percent positivity was recorded from clinically suspected cases of cattle, sheep, pigs, dogs and humans. High seroprevalence in coastal region (23.09 percent) followed by Rayalaseema (17.49 percent) and Telangana (16.30 percent) was observed.. High seropositivity was recorded during north east monsoon (28.29 percent) followed by south west monsoon (21.45 percent) and lowest in summer (7.26 percent). Biochemical analysis of serum samples from cattle positive for MAT showed elevated levels of total bilirubin, SGPT and SGOT. newline newline