Demographic, exposure, clinical, biochemical and diagnostic data of febrile patients recruited for the largest field study on leptospirosis in Sri Lanka

Summary: Leptospirosis is a widespread zoonotic disease with diverse clinical presentations and manifestations due to various strains of Leptospira. A study in Sri Lanka identified four pathogenic Leptospira species and at least six serogroups among patient samples, highlighting the need for culture-independent typing methods for accurate identification.

Summary: The microscopic agglutination test is commonly used for diagnosing leptospirosis, requiring an optimised panel that reacts well with patient samples. This study describes the process of selecting such an optimised panel for Sri Lanka, highlighting geographical variations in test results and recommending the use of ELISA with PCR for a more accurate diagnosis in countries with a higher disease burden.