Prevalence and risk factors for human leptospirosis at a hospital serving a pastoralist community, Endulen, Tanzania.

<h4>Background</h4>Leptospirosis is suspected to be a major cause of illness in rural Tanzania associated with close contact with livestock. We sought to determine leptospirosis prevalence, identify infecting Leptospira serogroups, and investigate risk factors for leptospirosis in a rura...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Michael J Maze, Gabriel M Shirima, Abdul-Hamid S Lukambagire, Rebecca F Bodenham, Matthew P Rubach, Shama Cash-Goldwasser, Manuela Carugati, Kate M Thomas, Philoteus Sakasaka, Nestory Mkenda, Kathryn J Allan, Rudovick R Kazwala, Blandina T Mmbaga, Joram J Buza, Venance P Maro, Renee L Galloway, Daniel T Haydon, John A Crump, Jo E B Halliday
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2023-12-01
Series:PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0011855&type=printable
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849521458986876928
author Michael J Maze
Gabriel M Shirima
Abdul-Hamid S Lukambagire
Rebecca F Bodenham
Matthew P Rubach
Shama Cash-Goldwasser
Manuela Carugati
Kate M Thomas
Philoteus Sakasaka
Nestory Mkenda
Kathryn J Allan
Rudovick R Kazwala
Blandina T Mmbaga
Joram J Buza
Venance P Maro
Renee L Galloway
Daniel T Haydon
John A Crump
Jo E B Halliday
author_facet Michael J Maze
Gabriel M Shirima
Abdul-Hamid S Lukambagire
Rebecca F Bodenham
Matthew P Rubach
Shama Cash-Goldwasser
Manuela Carugati
Kate M Thomas
Philoteus Sakasaka
Nestory Mkenda
Kathryn J Allan
Rudovick R Kazwala
Blandina T Mmbaga
Joram J Buza
Venance P Maro
Renee L Galloway
Daniel T Haydon
John A Crump
Jo E B Halliday
author_sort Michael J Maze
collection DOAJ
description <h4>Background</h4>Leptospirosis is suspected to be a major cause of illness in rural Tanzania associated with close contact with livestock. We sought to determine leptospirosis prevalence, identify infecting Leptospira serogroups, and investigate risk factors for leptospirosis in a rural area of Tanzania where pastoralist animal husbandry practices and sustained livestock contact are common.<h4>Methods</h4>We enrolled participants at Endulen Hospital, Tanzania. Patients with a history of fever within 72 hours, or a tympanic temperature of ≥38.0°C were eligible. Serum samples were collected at presentation and 4-6 weeks later. Sera were tested using microscopic agglutination testing with 20 Leptospira serovars from 17 serogroups. Acute leptospirosis cases were defined by a ≥four-fold rise in antibody titre between acute and convalescent serum samples or a reciprocal titre ≥400 in either sample. Leptospira seropositivity was defined by a single reciprocal antibody titre ≥100 in either sample. We defined the predominant reactive serogroup as that with the highest titre. We explored risk factors for acute leptospirosis and Leptospira seropositivity using logistic regression modelling.<h4>Results</h4>Of 229 participants, 99 (43.2%) were male and the median (range) age was 27 (0, 78) years. Participation in at least one animal husbandry practice was reported by 160 (69.9%). We identified 18 (7.9%) cases of acute leptospirosis, with Djasiman 8 (44.4%) and Australis 7 (38.9%) the most common predominant reactive serogroups. Overall, 69 (30.1%) participants were Leptospira seropositive and the most common predominant reactive serogroups were Icterohaemorrhagiae (n = 20, 29.0%), Djasiman (n = 19, 27.5%), and Australis (n = 17, 24.6%). Milking cattle (OR 6.27, 95% CI 2.24-7.52) was a risk factor for acute leptospirosis, and milking goats (OR 2.35, 95% CI 1.07-5.16) was a risk factor for Leptospira seropositivity.<h4>Conclusions</h4>We identified leptospirosis in approximately one in twelve patients attending hospital with fever from this rural community. Interventions that reduce risks associated with milking livestock may reduce human infections.
format Article
id doaj-art-ee70068a7f504ba685f6f00d6059a5a1
institution Kabale University
issn 1935-2727
1935-2735
language English
publishDate 2023-12-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
spelling doaj-art-ee70068a7f504ba685f6f00d6059a5a12025-08-20T03:25:46ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases1935-27271935-27352023-12-011712e001185510.1371/journal.pntd.0011855Prevalence and risk factors for human leptospirosis at a hospital serving a pastoralist community, Endulen, Tanzania.Michael J MazeGabriel M ShirimaAbdul-Hamid S LukambagireRebecca F BodenhamMatthew P RubachShama Cash-GoldwasserManuela CarugatiKate M ThomasPhiloteus SakasakaNestory MkendaKathryn J AllanRudovick R KazwalaBlandina T MmbagaJoram J BuzaVenance P MaroRenee L GallowayDaniel T HaydonJohn A CrumpJo E B Halliday<h4>Background</h4>Leptospirosis is suspected to be a major cause of illness in rural Tanzania associated with close contact with livestock. We sought to determine leptospirosis prevalence, identify infecting Leptospira serogroups, and investigate risk factors for leptospirosis in a rural area of Tanzania where pastoralist animal husbandry practices and sustained livestock contact are common.<h4>Methods</h4>We enrolled participants at Endulen Hospital, Tanzania. Patients with a history of fever within 72 hours, or a tympanic temperature of ≥38.0°C were eligible. Serum samples were collected at presentation and 4-6 weeks later. Sera were tested using microscopic agglutination testing with 20 Leptospira serovars from 17 serogroups. Acute leptospirosis cases were defined by a ≥four-fold rise in antibody titre between acute and convalescent serum samples or a reciprocal titre ≥400 in either sample. Leptospira seropositivity was defined by a single reciprocal antibody titre ≥100 in either sample. We defined the predominant reactive serogroup as that with the highest titre. We explored risk factors for acute leptospirosis and Leptospira seropositivity using logistic regression modelling.<h4>Results</h4>Of 229 participants, 99 (43.2%) were male and the median (range) age was 27 (0, 78) years. Participation in at least one animal husbandry practice was reported by 160 (69.9%). We identified 18 (7.9%) cases of acute leptospirosis, with Djasiman 8 (44.4%) and Australis 7 (38.9%) the most common predominant reactive serogroups. Overall, 69 (30.1%) participants were Leptospira seropositive and the most common predominant reactive serogroups were Icterohaemorrhagiae (n = 20, 29.0%), Djasiman (n = 19, 27.5%), and Australis (n = 17, 24.6%). Milking cattle (OR 6.27, 95% CI 2.24-7.52) was a risk factor for acute leptospirosis, and milking goats (OR 2.35, 95% CI 1.07-5.16) was a risk factor for Leptospira seropositivity.<h4>Conclusions</h4>We identified leptospirosis in approximately one in twelve patients attending hospital with fever from this rural community. Interventions that reduce risks associated with milking livestock may reduce human infections.https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0011855&type=printable
spellingShingle Michael J Maze
Gabriel M Shirima
Abdul-Hamid S Lukambagire
Rebecca F Bodenham
Matthew P Rubach
Shama Cash-Goldwasser
Manuela Carugati
Kate M Thomas
Philoteus Sakasaka
Nestory Mkenda
Kathryn J Allan
Rudovick R Kazwala
Blandina T Mmbaga
Joram J Buza
Venance P Maro
Renee L Galloway
Daniel T Haydon
John A Crump
Jo E B Halliday
Prevalence and risk factors for human leptospirosis at a hospital serving a pastoralist community, Endulen, Tanzania.
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
title Prevalence and risk factors for human leptospirosis at a hospital serving a pastoralist community, Endulen, Tanzania.
title_full Prevalence and risk factors for human leptospirosis at a hospital serving a pastoralist community, Endulen, Tanzania.
title_fullStr Prevalence and risk factors for human leptospirosis at a hospital serving a pastoralist community, Endulen, Tanzania.
title_full_unstemmed Prevalence and risk factors for human leptospirosis at a hospital serving a pastoralist community, Endulen, Tanzania.
title_short Prevalence and risk factors for human leptospirosis at a hospital serving a pastoralist community, Endulen, Tanzania.
title_sort prevalence and risk factors for human leptospirosis at a hospital serving a pastoralist community endulen tanzania
url https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0011855&type=printable
work_keys_str_mv AT michaeljmaze prevalenceandriskfactorsforhumanleptospirosisatahospitalservingapastoralistcommunityendulentanzania
AT gabrielmshirima prevalenceandriskfactorsforhumanleptospirosisatahospitalservingapastoralistcommunityendulentanzania
AT abdulhamidslukambagire prevalenceandriskfactorsforhumanleptospirosisatahospitalservingapastoralistcommunityendulentanzania
AT rebeccafbodenham prevalenceandriskfactorsforhumanleptospirosisatahospitalservingapastoralistcommunityendulentanzania
AT matthewprubach prevalenceandriskfactorsforhumanleptospirosisatahospitalservingapastoralistcommunityendulentanzania
AT shamacashgoldwasser prevalenceandriskfactorsforhumanleptospirosisatahospitalservingapastoralistcommunityendulentanzania
AT manuelacarugati prevalenceandriskfactorsforhumanleptospirosisatahospitalservingapastoralistcommunityendulentanzania
AT katemthomas prevalenceandriskfactorsforhumanleptospirosisatahospitalservingapastoralistcommunityendulentanzania
AT philoteussakasaka prevalenceandriskfactorsforhumanleptospirosisatahospitalservingapastoralistcommunityendulentanzania
AT nestorymkenda prevalenceandriskfactorsforhumanleptospirosisatahospitalservingapastoralistcommunityendulentanzania
AT kathrynjallan prevalenceandriskfactorsforhumanleptospirosisatahospitalservingapastoralistcommunityendulentanzania
AT rudovickrkazwala prevalenceandriskfactorsforhumanleptospirosisatahospitalservingapastoralistcommunityendulentanzania
AT blandinatmmbaga prevalenceandriskfactorsforhumanleptospirosisatahospitalservingapastoralistcommunityendulentanzania
AT joramjbuza prevalenceandriskfactorsforhumanleptospirosisatahospitalservingapastoralistcommunityendulentanzania
AT venancepmaro prevalenceandriskfactorsforhumanleptospirosisatahospitalservingapastoralistcommunityendulentanzania
AT reneelgalloway prevalenceandriskfactorsforhumanleptospirosisatahospitalservingapastoralistcommunityendulentanzania
AT danielthaydon prevalenceandriskfactorsforhumanleptospirosisatahospitalservingapastoralistcommunityendulentanzania
AT johnacrump prevalenceandriskfactorsforhumanleptospirosisatahospitalservingapastoralistcommunityendulentanzania
AT joebhalliday prevalenceandriskfactorsforhumanleptospirosisatahospitalservingapastoralistcommunityendulentanzania