Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Rise in dog leptospirosis cases and risks in Ontario 1998-2006
By Alton, Gillian D et al.·Published in Canadian journal of veterinary research = Revue canadienne de recherche veterinaire·2009·Department of Population Medicine, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Increase in seroprevalence of canine leptospirosis and its risk factors, Ontario 1998-2006.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that canine leptospirosis, a bacterial infection that can affect dogs, has been increasing in Ontario from 1998 to 2006. Dogs living in urban areas were more likely to test positive for the disease compared to those in rural areas. The infection can affect dogs of any breed or age, and cases were more common during the summer and fall months. This suggests that pet owners should be aware of the risks of leptospirosis, especially in urban settings, and consider vaccination or preventive measures.
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Abstract
Canine leptospirosis has been described as having re-emerged in North America around the mid-1990s, with a change in the epidemiology of the infecting serovars responsible for the disease emergence. A retrospective case-control study was conducted to examine the re-emergence of seroprevalent cases of canine leptospirosis in Ontario using serology submission records from 1406 dogs from January 1, 1998 to December 31, 2006. The data collected [results of the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), veterinary clinic postal code, age, sex, neutering status, and breed] were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression, generalized linear mixed modeling, and Cochran-Armitage test for trends in proportions. Dogs in urban areas appeared to be at significantly higher risk than dogs in rural areas for the entire study period [odds ratio (OR) = 1.6, confidence interval (CI) = 1.2-2.3], though this was not as marked as in other studies. Results indicated that canine leptospirosis in Ontario is a disease of all breeds and ages, regardless of gender. No geographic clustering was noted, but clustering of cases by clinic within geographic areas suggested differences in awareness or in diagnosis by veterinarians. A distinctive seasonal pattern of leptospirosis, with more cases occurring during the summer and fall, as found in previous studies, was also observed in this study. The temporal trend analysis was consistent with an increasing proportion or re-emergence of seroprevalent cases of canine leptospirosis since 1998, suggesting that the putative increase in canine leptospirosis has been genuine.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19794888/