Izvorni znanstveni članak
Small rodents as reservoirs of leptospirosis
Roberta Čordaš
; Veterinarska ambulanta Ogulin d.o.o.
Vesna Mojčec Perko
; Veterinarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Zrinka Štritof
; Veterinarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Suzana Hađina
; Veterinarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Iva Zečević
; Veterinarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Matko Perharić
; Veterinarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Nenad Turk
; Veterinarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Zoran Milas
; Veterinarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Josipa Habuš
; Veterinarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Josip Margaletić
; Šumarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu
Marko Vucelja
; Šumarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu
Marko Boljfetić
; Šumarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu
Sažetak
Leptospirosis is a (re) emerging zoonosis of many domestic and wild animals and humans, caused by pathogenic bacteria from the genus Leptospira. It is a natural foci disease with epizootiology and epidemiology closely linked to reservoir species that excrete certain serovars of Leptospira into the environment. Rats and small rodents are the main reservoirs and lifelong carriers of pathogenic Leptospira. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of infection of small rodents in areas where leptospirosis appears endemic. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to test kidney specimens of 186 animals, that were trapped in seven endemic regions of Croatia. Using this method, we obtained 20 positive samples, giving a Leptospira shedding rate of 10.75%. During this investigation Leptospira spp. were detected in five out of seven small rodent species, with the highest degree of shedding (30%) detected in the Velika Gorica municipality. These findings may be explained by the fact that this area belongs to the River Sava basin. High flooding potential and humid areas allow the longer survival of Leptospira in the environment. Further longitudinal studies are needed in order to identify all the abiotic and biotic factors that can affect the density of rodent population and shedding rates.
Ključne riječi
Leptospira; small rodents; polymerase chain reaction
Hrčak ID:
238109
URI
Datum izdavanja:
30.3.2020.
Posjeta: 1.534 *