Original scientific paper

Equine leptospirosis in Croatia - occurrence of subclinical infections and abortions.

Nenad Turk ; Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases with Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Zoran Milas ; Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases with Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Josipa Habuš ; Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases with Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Zrinka Štritof Majetić ; Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases with Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Vesna Mojčec Perko ; Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases with Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Ljubo Barbić ; Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases with Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Vladimir Stevanović ; Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases with Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Matko Perharić ; Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases with Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Vilim Starešina ; Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases with Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Clinical leptospirosis in horses has been primarily associated with abortion, stillbirth and equine recurrent uveitis. Severe septicaemia that includes fever, jaundice and anorexia, haematuria, renal and hepatic dysfunction, respiratory distress and pulmonary haemorrhage is rare. In order to obtain a better insight into the occurrence of equine leptospirosis in Croatia a sero-survey was performed using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) among healthy and non-healthy horses. Non-healthy horses were represented by the mares that aborted. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of Leptospira infection and related serovars, as well as to point out the present clinical disease status of equine leptospirosis in Croatia. A total of 8059 horse sera samples of different breeds, age and sex were taken in 2011 from apparently healthy animals. In the same period, 56 samples were taken from mares that had aborted, representing non-healthy animals. Out of 8059 sera samples from healthy horses, 2999 (37.2) were considered seropositive. The highest seroprevalence for healthy horses was found for sv Bratislava in 1342 (44.8%) samples, sv Pomona 546 (18.2%) and sv Icterohaemorrhagiae 448 (14.9%). Out of 56 sera samples from the mares that aborted, representing non-healthy horses, 37 (66.1%) were considered seropositive. The highest seroprevalence for mares that aborted was found for sv Bratislava in 16 (43.2%) sera samples, sv Pomona in 11 (29.7%) and sv Icterohaemorrhagiae in 4 (10.8%). The results showed that horses in Croatia are commonly exposed to Leptospira infections. Regarding clinical disease status, mainly subclinical infections and fewer abortions, as the only clinically apparent form of leptospirosis, are currently present in Croatia, irrespective of the level of agglutinating antibody titres.

Keywords

eptospira; equine leptospirosis; seroprevalence; microscopic agglutination test

Hrčak ID:

101886

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/101886

Publication date:

17.5.2013.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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