Molecular Detection and Typing of Pathogenic Leptospira in Febrile Patients and Phylogenetic Comparison with Leptospira Detected among Animals in Tanzania
Year: 2020
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Molecular data are required to improve our understanding of the epidemiology of leptospirosis in Africa and to identify sources of human infection.We applied molecular methods to identify the infecting Leptospira species and genotypes among patients hospitalized with fever in Tanzania and compared these with Leptospira genotypes detected among animals in Tanzania to infer potential sources of human infection.We performed lipL32 real-time PCR to detect the presence of pathogenic Leptospira in acute-phase plasma, serum, and urine samples obtained from study participants with serologically confirmed leptospirosis and participants who had died with febrile illness.Leptospira blood culture was also performed.In positive specimens, we performed species-specific PCR and compared participant Leptospira secY sequences with Leptospira reference sequences and sequences previously obtained from animals in Tanzania.We detected Leptospira DNA in four (3.6%) of 111 participant blood samples.We detected Leptospira borgpetersenii (one participant, 25.0%), Leptospira interrogans (one participant, 25.0%), and Leptospira kirschneri (one participant, 25.0%) (one [25%] undetermined).Phylogenetic comparison of secY sequence from the L. borgpetersenii and L. kirschneri genotypes detected from participants was closely related to but distinct from genotypes detected among local livestock species.Our results indicate that a diverse range of Leptospira species is causing human infection.Although our analysis suggests a close relationship between Leptospira genotypes found in people and livestock, continued efforts are needed to obtain more Leptospira genetic material from human leptospirosis cases to help prioritize Leptospira species and genotypes for control.
Institutions: University of Glasgow, University of Otago, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National University of Singapore, Duke University, Duke Medical Center, Duke-NUS Medical School, Mawenzi Regional Referral Hospital, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tumaini University, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, University of Otago, Wellcome Trust, Department for International Development, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Directorate for Biological Sciences, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Fogarty International Center
Awards: Social, Economic and Environmental Drivers of Zoonoses in Tanzania (SEEDZ), Hazards Associated with Zoonotic enteric pathogens in Emerging Livestock meat pathways (HAZEL), University of California Global Health Institute Program for Fellows and Scholars, Leptospirosis in Tanzania: the role of rodents and cattle in a neglected public health problem., G3028693477, G3168060087, The impact and social ecology of bacterial zoonoses in northern Tanzania, G3435376506, G396838351, G4518260094, International Clinical Trials Unit, The Impact and Society Ecology of Bacterial Zoonoses in Northern Tanzania: Under, Molecular epidemiology of brucellosis in northern Tanzania, International Vaccine Institute - to build additional evidence to understand where typhoid vaccine is needed in Africa and accelerate its delivery where needed, G8532363547, Investigating Febrile Deaths in Tanzania (INDITe), G9000261046, Interdisciplinary Research Training Program in AIDS
OpenAlex ID: W2998178587