Seroepidemiological and Seroepizootiological Investigation of Leptospirosis in Croatia in 2007

Tijekom 2007. godine u Laboratoriju za leptospire Veterinarskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu i Laboratoriju za bakterijske zoonoze i molekularnu dijagnostiku bakterijskih bolesti Hrvatskog veterinarskog instituta primjenom mikroskopske aglutinacije serološki je na leptospirozu pretraženo 113 seruma ljudi, te 44710 seruma domaćih i divljih životinja. Od 113 seruma ljudi, pozitivno je bilo 24 (21,24 %) uz najveću učestalost serovara Australis. Od 44 710 seruma domaćih i divljih životinja pozitivno je bilo 1996 (4,46 %) također uz prevalenciju serovara Australis. Na osnovi dobivenih rezultata razmatrane su moguće promjene u epidemiologiji i epizootiologiji leptospiroze. Iako nije ustanovljena promjena u učestalosti leptospiroze u ljudi i domaćih i divljih životinja u odnosu na prijašnje godine, ustanovljena je promjena u učestalosti vjerojatno infektivnih serovara. Uočen je lagani porast pojavnosti serovara Australis, uz kontinuirano prisutan serovar Grippotyphosa i Icterohaemorrhagiae te nešto smanjena učestalost serovara Sejroe-Saxkoebing koji je bio najučestaliji u prijašnjim istraživanjima. Veća učestalost vjerojatnog infektivnog serovara Australis u ljudi, ali i u životinja upućuje na činjenicu da glavni izvor infekcije za ljude i životinje u Hrvatskoj predstavljaju mišoliki glodavci. Potrebno je provesti daljnja istraživanja kako bi se utvrdilo da li i u kojoj mjeri ove promjene koje se uočavaju u epizootiologiji i epidemiologiji leptospiroze utječu i na kliničku pojavnost leptospiroze u Hrvatskoj.Serological results inferred from the microscopic agglutination performed at Laboratory for leptospires, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Laboratory for bacterial zoonoses and molecular diagnostics of bacterial diseases of the Croatian Veterinary Institute were used to evaluate 113 human sera and 44 710 sera of domestic and wild animals during 2007. Out of 113 human sera, positive reaction was determined in 24 (21.24%) with prevalence of serovar Australis as presumptive infective serovar in humans. Prevalence of same serovars was determined in 1996 (4.46 %) from the total of 44 710 sera of domestic and wild animals. Obtained results were used to determine possible changes in epidemiology and epizootiology of leptospirosis. Although, no changes in frequency of leptospirosis were noted, some changes in occurrence of presumptive serovars were detected. Slight increase in frequency of serovar Australis, with constant frequency of Grippotyphosa and Icterohaemorrhagiae was detected together with decreasing of serovars Sejroe-Saxkoebing previously mentioned as prevalent serovar in Croatia. Highest frequency of serovar Australis in humans and animals point to the fact that the main source of infection for both investigated groups were mouse like rodents. Further investigations are needed in order to check possible connection between changes in epizootiology and epidemiology of leptospirosis and changes in clinical signs of leptospirosis in humans