Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Leptospira exposure and risk factors in healthy Swedish dogs
By Scahill, Karolina et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2022·Edinburgh Medical School, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Leptospira seroprevalence and associated risk factors in healthy Swedish dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that 7.3% of healthy dogs in Sweden tested positive for Leptospira, a bacteria that can cause serious illness. The most common type found was the Saxkoebing serovar, and dogs living in urban areas or having contact with stagnant water were more likely to be exposed. This suggests that even healthy dogs can be at risk for leptospirosis, especially if they are in certain environments. Pet owners should be aware of these risks and discuss vaccination and prevention strategies with their veterinarian.
People also search for: dog leptospirosis symptoms · urban dog health risks · stagnant water dog exposure
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Leptospirosis is an emerging zoonotic infection worldwide and a cause of life-threatening disease in dogs. Seroprevalence in Swedish dogs is unknown. The aims of the present study were to estimate seroprevalence of pathogenic Leptospira in healthy dogs in Sweden using the microagglutination test (MAT) and a rapid point-of-care enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and to evaluate risk factors of Leptospira exposure in Swedish dogs. RESULTS: Positive MAT titres (≥ 1:50) were detected in 27/369 (7.3%) of included dogs. Five different serovars were represented of which the Saxkoebing serovar was the most common (64.3%), followed by Copenhagi (14.3%), Bratislava (10.7%), Icterohaemorrhagiae (7.1%), and Canicola (3.6%). The ELISA test (SNAP® Lepto) was positive in 3/316 (0.9%) dogs. Living in urban areas and contact with stagnant water were found to be risk factors for Leptospira seropositivity (p < 0.05) in a multivariable logistic regression model. CONCLUSION: In this first seroprevalence study of Leptospira in Swedish dogs, it was shown that healthy dogs without recent (24 months) travel history and antileptospira vaccination had been exposed to pathogenic Leptospira interrogans serovars. Contact with stagnant water and living in urban areas were independent risk factors for seropositivity.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36273163/