High prevalence and diversity of Leptospira pathogenic serovars in synanthropic fauna from Guayaquil city in Ecuador

Abstract

Leptospirosis is a globally distributed zoonotic disease that affects animal production systems and leads to mortality among its hosts. In Ecuador, this disease is endemic, with records dated from the late 19th century, and adversely impacts numerous animal species. We assessed the seroprevalence and diversity of Leptospira serovars in synanthropic fauna including stray dogs, cats and rats from Guayaquil city in Ecuador using the Microagglutination Test (MAT). Our findings revealed a wide diversity of the 24 serovars studied, affecting all animal species, with Pomoma, Sejroe, Bataviae and Saxkoebing as the most prevalent ones. Moreover, the prevalence of antibodies against Leptospira infection was extremely high with values of 94.7 % (CI 95 %: 76.1–100), 82.1 % (CI 95 %: 66–98.1) and 83.6 % (CI 95 %: 67.2–99.9) in dogs, cats and rats, respectively. Our findings support previous reports showing that leptospirosis is endemic in Ecuador and affects multiple animal species. Moreover, our results would suggest the potential role of synanthropic fauna as a reservoir for Leptospira in urban settings although further research involving Leptospira PCR diagnosis and culture isolation is needed. Therefore, we strongly recommend incorporating a comprehensive approach for surveillance and control of leptospirosis in Ecuador from a One Health perspective.