Journal
TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE
Volume 109, Issue 5, Pages 349-351Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/trv007
Keywords
Africa; Botswana; Disease reservoirs; Leptospirosis; Zoonotic disease
Funding
- Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems Program grant [CNH] from the National Science Foundation (Arlington, Virginia, USA) [1114953]
- Fralin Life Science Institute at Virginia Tech
- Direct For Biological Sciences
- Division Of Environmental Biology [1114953] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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Background: Leptospirosis is an important public health threat in sub-Saharan Africa but little is known regarding the host spectrum and epidemiology of this zoonotic disease. Methods: 289 kidney samples from 69 wild, domestic and peri-domestic species in northern Botswana were screened for the presence of Leptospira sp. Results: Renal carriage was widespread among mammals (31.4%, n=11/35 species), birds (27.8%, n=5/18 species) and reptiles (6.3%, n=1/16 species), including several novel species. Conclusion: Leptospiral surveillance is often limited to the usual suspects: rodents and domestic animals. We identify Leptospira in a wide range of African wildlife, suggesting that leptospirosis transmission and persistence may also involve hosts not normally considered.
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