Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Leptospirosis risk and cases in UK dogs in 2016
By Taylor, Collette et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2022·Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Incidence and demographic risk factors for leptospirosis in dogs in the UK.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that leptospirosis, a serious bacterial infection, is rarely diagnosed in dogs in the UK, with an annual incidence of only 0.8 cases per 100,000 dogs. The research indicated that younger dogs under one year old and those from rural areas had a higher risk of being diagnosed. Certain breeds, like Cocker Spaniels and Collies, were also found to be at increased risk. This suggests that while leptospirosis is uncommon, pet owners should be aware of the symptoms and consider testing, especially for younger or at-risk breeds.
People also search for: dog leptospirosis symptoms · Cocker Spaniel health issues · how to test for leptospirosis in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To estimate the annual incidence risk of leptospirosis diagnosis in practice-attending dogs in the UK during 2016 and identify risk factors for diagnosis. METHODS: Incidence of leptospirosis diagnosis in dogs during 2016 was estimated from dogs in primary-care practices from the VetCompass Programme (n = 905,543). A case-control study of laboratory cases (n = 362) versus VetCompass controls explored factors (age, sex, neutering, breed, Kennel Club group, urban-rural location, indices of deprivation) associated with leptospirosis diagnosis through multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Annual incidence risk of leptospirosis in the VetCompass population was 0.8 cases per 100,000 dogs (0.0008%, 95% CI 9.1 × 10-5.2 × 10). Adult dogs, especially 1- < 5 years olds (odds ratio [OR] = 0.38, 95% CI 0.27-0.54), and dogs attending urban clinics (OR = 0.26, 95% CI 0.19-0.35) had reduced odds of leptospirosis versus dogs < 1 year old and rural dogs, respectively. Dogs attending clinics in less deprived areas had increased odds of diagnosis (OR = 3.63, 95% CI 2.28-5.78) compared to crossbreds, Cocker Spaniels (OR = 4.25, 95% CI 2.65-6.84), Collies (OR = 3.53, 95% CI 2.22-5.62) and Lurchers (OR = 3.49, 95% CI 1.50-8.11) had increased odds of diagnosis. DISCUSSION: Leptospirosis is rarely diagnosed in clinical practice, suggesting that many true cases may be missed. Demographic risk factors identified here may inform the index of suspicion and encourage increased use of confirmatory diagnostic testing.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34057217/