Evidence of Leptospiral Presence in the Cumberland Gap Region.
<h4>Background</h4>Leptospirosis is a widespread zoonotic disease that causes reproductive losses and/or hepatorenal failure in a number of animal species. Wild reservoirs of the disease, such as rodents, harbor the causative bacterium, Leptospira spp., in their kidneys and contaminate t...
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| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2019-12-01
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| Series: | PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases |
| Online Access: | https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0007990&type=printable |
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| author | Ashutosh Verma Brittney Beigel Christopher Carl Smola Susanna Kitts-Morgan Daniel Kish Paul Nader Joey Morgan Jerry Roberson Undine Christmann Karen Gruszynski LaRoy Brandt Ellen Cho Kelly Murphy Ryan Goss |
| author_facet | Ashutosh Verma Brittney Beigel Christopher Carl Smola Susanna Kitts-Morgan Daniel Kish Paul Nader Joey Morgan Jerry Roberson Undine Christmann Karen Gruszynski LaRoy Brandt Ellen Cho Kelly Murphy Ryan Goss |
| author_sort | Ashutosh Verma |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <h4>Background</h4>Leptospirosis is a widespread zoonotic disease that causes reproductive losses and/or hepatorenal failure in a number of animal species. Wild reservoirs of the disease, such as rodents, harbor the causative bacterium, Leptospira spp., in their kidneys and contaminate the environment by excreting infected urine. In this study, we tested small wild mammals, environmental water, and livestock in the Cumberland Gap region of southeastern Appalachia for the presence of pathogenic Leptospira or leptospiral antibodies.<h4>Methods/results</h4>Small wild mammals (n = 101) and environmental water samples (n = 89) were screened by a real time quantitative PCR that targets the pathogenic Leptospira-specific lipl32 gene. Kidneys from 63 small wild mammals (62.37%) and two water sources (2.25%) tested positive for leptospiral DNA. To identify the infecting leptospiral species in qPCR-positive water and kidney samples, a fragment of leptospiral rpoB gene was PCR amplified and sequenced. L. kirschneri and L. interrogans were the leptospiral species carried by small wild mammals. Furthermore, sera from livestock (n = 52; cattle and horses) were screened for leptospiral antibodies using microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Twenty sera (38.46%) from livestock had antibodies to one or more serovars of pathogenic Leptospira spp.<h4>Conclusions</h4>In conclusion, results from our study show exposure to leptospiral infection in farm animals and the presence of this zoonotic pathogen in the environmental water and kidneys of a significant number of small wild mammals. The public health implications of these findings remain to be assessed. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2e3a8a16bf854b6ea7305acfcf3ffc81 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1935-2727 1935-2735 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2019-12-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases |
| spelling | doaj-art-2e3a8a16bf854b6ea7305acfcf3ffc812025-08-20T02:11:00ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases1935-27271935-27352019-12-011312e000799010.1371/journal.pntd.0007990Evidence of Leptospiral Presence in the Cumberland Gap Region.Ashutosh VermaBrittney BeigelChristopher Carl SmolaSusanna Kitts-MorganDaniel KishPaul NaderJoey MorganJerry RobersonUndine ChristmannKaren GruszynskiLaRoy BrandtEllen ChoKelly MurphyRyan Goss<h4>Background</h4>Leptospirosis is a widespread zoonotic disease that causes reproductive losses and/or hepatorenal failure in a number of animal species. Wild reservoirs of the disease, such as rodents, harbor the causative bacterium, Leptospira spp., in their kidneys and contaminate the environment by excreting infected urine. In this study, we tested small wild mammals, environmental water, and livestock in the Cumberland Gap region of southeastern Appalachia for the presence of pathogenic Leptospira or leptospiral antibodies.<h4>Methods/results</h4>Small wild mammals (n = 101) and environmental water samples (n = 89) were screened by a real time quantitative PCR that targets the pathogenic Leptospira-specific lipl32 gene. Kidneys from 63 small wild mammals (62.37%) and two water sources (2.25%) tested positive for leptospiral DNA. To identify the infecting leptospiral species in qPCR-positive water and kidney samples, a fragment of leptospiral rpoB gene was PCR amplified and sequenced. L. kirschneri and L. interrogans were the leptospiral species carried by small wild mammals. Furthermore, sera from livestock (n = 52; cattle and horses) were screened for leptospiral antibodies using microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Twenty sera (38.46%) from livestock had antibodies to one or more serovars of pathogenic Leptospira spp.<h4>Conclusions</h4>In conclusion, results from our study show exposure to leptospiral infection in farm animals and the presence of this zoonotic pathogen in the environmental water and kidneys of a significant number of small wild mammals. The public health implications of these findings remain to be assessed.https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0007990&type=printable |
| spellingShingle | Ashutosh Verma Brittney Beigel Christopher Carl Smola Susanna Kitts-Morgan Daniel Kish Paul Nader Joey Morgan Jerry Roberson Undine Christmann Karen Gruszynski LaRoy Brandt Ellen Cho Kelly Murphy Ryan Goss Evidence of Leptospiral Presence in the Cumberland Gap Region. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases |
| title | Evidence of Leptospiral Presence in the Cumberland Gap Region. |
| title_full | Evidence of Leptospiral Presence in the Cumberland Gap Region. |
| title_fullStr | Evidence of Leptospiral Presence in the Cumberland Gap Region. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evidence of Leptospiral Presence in the Cumberland Gap Region. |
| title_short | Evidence of Leptospiral Presence in the Cumberland Gap Region. |
| title_sort | evidence of leptospiral presence in the cumberland gap region |
| url | https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0007990&type=printable |
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