Molecular and serological characterization of pathogenic Leptospira spp. isolated from symptomatic dogs in a highly endemic area, Brazil

Abstract Background Leptospirosis is an endemic zoonosis in Brazil, with a great impact on human and animal health. Although dogs are frequently infected by pathogenic Leptospira, the current epidemiological understanding of canine leptospirosis is mainly based on serological tests that predict the infecting serogroup/serovar. Thus, the present study aimed at identifying the causative agent for severe cases of canine leptospirosis in a highly endemic area through the isolation and characterization of the isolated strains. Results Urine, serum and blood samples were collected from 31 dogs with suspected acute leptospirosis treated at the Veterinary Hospital Service of Santo Amaro University between 2018 and 2019. Acute infection was confirmed in 17 dogs (54.8%) by the associated use of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), Microscopic Agglutination (MAT) and bacteriological culture. Eleven dogs (35.5%) had titers ≥800, with the most frequent serogroups being Autumnalis and Icterohaemorrhagiae (n = 4 each) and Canicola (n = 2). Leptospires were recovered from four dogs, and Multilocus Sequence Analysis (MLSA) revealed infection caused by L. interrogans, which were further characterized as serogroups Canicola (n = 1) and Icterohaemorrhagiae (n = 3). Conclusion The identity of the isolates and serological pattern of MAT suggest that dogs are highly exposed to the serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae and Canicola, also indicating possible circulation of serogroups not yet isolated in Brazil, notably serogroup Autumnalis. Our findings also reinforce the usefulness of using multiple diagnostic approaches to confirm acute canine leptospirosis