A systematic survey of environmental DNA in Palau's lakes and waterfalls reveals an increase in Leptospira levels after flooding

IF 4.1 2区医学 Q1 INFECTIOUS DISEASES

One Health Pub Date : 2024-09-18 DOI:10.1016/j.onehlt.2024.100898

Yukuto Sato , Kaori Tsurui-Sato , Yoichiro Uchima , Cheryl-Ann Udui , Osiro Lorin , Kashgar Rengulbai , Claudia Toma , Ryo Suzuki

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective

Leptospirosis is an important bacterial zoonosis which is widespread in tropical and subtropical islands and influences human and animal health which has secondary economic effects. Although leptospirosis is endemic in Palau, an Oceanian Pacific Island country, few systematic surveys of potential risk factors for Leptospira infection, such as weather and host animals, have been conducted in the natural environment. We used environmental DNA metabarcoding to assess the distribution, species diversity, and abundance of pathogenic Leptospira in this endemic region to investigate the potential environmental risks.

Methods

Forty-two paired water samples, representing fine and rainy weather conditions, were collected from four representative waterfalls and lakes on Babeldaob Island, the largest island in Palau. High-throughput sequencing analysis was conducted for polymerase chain reaction products of leptospiral 16S rRNA and vertebrate animal mitochondrial 12S rRNA genes.

Results

We revealed greater Leptospira diversity and abundance in samples collected after continuous rain, particularly in the presence of flooding, compared with samples collected under typhoon, monsoon, or fine weather conditions. From same samples, six mammalian species including cats (Felis catus), mice (Mus musculus), Yap flying fox (Pteropus yapensis), rats (Rattus spp.), and pigs (Sus scrofa) were repeatedly detected. These may be candidates of host animals of Leptospira in Palau; however, their detection was not clearly correlated with that of Leptospira.

Conclusion

We repeatedly detected several species of pathogenic Leptospira from water samples of a wide region of Babeldaob Island. We confirmed that Leptospira contamination in freshwater environments increased under rainy conditions, particularly in the presence of flooding. This information could be used to improve public health control measures in this region.

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对帕劳湖泊和瀑布中环境 DNA 的系统调查显示，洪水过后钩端螺旋体的数量有所增加

目的钩端螺旋体病是一种重要的细菌性人畜共患病，广泛存在于热带和亚热带岛屿，影响人类和动物的健康，并产生次生经济效应。虽然钩端螺旋体病在大洋洲的太平洋岛国帕劳是地方病，但很少在自然环境中对钩端螺旋体感染的潜在风险因素（如天气和宿主动物）进行系统调查。我们利用环境 DNA 代谢编码来评估该地方病流行地区致病性钩端螺旋体的分布、物种多样性和丰度，以调查潜在的环境风险。方法我们从帕劳最大岛屿巴别尔多布岛（Babeldaob Island）上四个具有代表性的瀑布和湖泊中收集了 42 份配对水样，分别代表晴朗和多雨的天气条件。结果我们发现，与台风、季风或晴朗天气条件下采集的样本相比，连续降雨（尤其是洪水）后采集的样本中钩端螺旋体的多样性和丰度更高。在相同的样本中，反复检测到六种哺乳动物，包括猫（Felis catus）、小鼠（Mus musculus）、雅浦飞狐（Pteropus yapensis）、大鼠（Rattus spp.）和猪（Sus scrofa）。这些动物可能是钩端螺旋体在帕劳的候选宿主动物；但是，它们的检测结果与钩端螺旋体的检测结果没有明显的相关性。我们证实，淡水环境中的钩端螺旋体污染在多雨条件下有所增加，尤其是在洪水泛滥的情况下。这一信息可用于改善该地区的公共卫生控制措施。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

One Health Medicine-Infectious Diseases

CiteScore

8.10

自引率

4.00%

发文量

审稿时长

18 weeks

期刊介绍： One Health - a Gold Open Access journal. The mission of One Health is to provide a platform for rapid communication of high quality scientific knowledge on inter- and intra-species pathogen transmission, bringing together leading experts in virology, bacteriology, parasitology, mycology, vectors and vector-borne diseases, tropical health, veterinary sciences, pathology, immunology, food safety, mathematical modelling, epidemiology, public health research and emergency preparedness. As a Gold Open Access journal, a fee is payable on acceptance of the paper. Please see the Guide for Authors for more information. Submissions to the following categories are welcome: Virology, Bacteriology, Parasitology, Mycology, Vectors and vector-borne diseases, Co-infections and co-morbidities, Disease spatial surveillance, Modelling, Tropical Health, Discovery, Ecosystem Health, Public Health.