Abstract

HUMAN LEPTOSPIROSIS IN THE CITY OF VASSOURAS, PROVINCE OF RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

Oswaldo Aparecido Caetano, Carlos M. S. Dutok, Cristiane de Souza Siqueira Pereira, Paulo Roberto Blanco Moreira Norberg, Antonio Neres Norberg* and Margareth Maria de Carvalho Queiroz

ABSTRACT

Leptospirosis is a widespread systemic acute infectious disease caused by serovars of the bacteria of the Genus Leptospira. The etiologic agent of the disease is mainly transmitted through infected animals’ urine, being domestic and wild animals the reservoir. Humans are accidental hosts within the transmission chain. Some serovars of Leptospira can be harmful to humans. The objective of this research was to estimate the incidence of infection by serovars of the Genus Leptospira through serological analysis of individuals living in the city of Vassouras, Province of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Venous blood samples were collected from 51 volunteers inhabitants of Vassouras, and the sera were submitted to microagglutination tests for detection of specific antibodies to Leptospira serovars. Among the 51 volunteer individuals participating in the research, 13 (25.5%) were positive to Leptospira serovars. In most samples, tests reacted to multiple serovars antibodies. The registered serovars distributed by samples were: Hebdomadis (92%), Patoc (69,23%), Pomona (53,85%), Castellonis (46.15%) Copenhageni (38, 46%), Grippotyphosa (38,46%) and Javanica (38,46%) Panama (30, 77%) Australis (23,08%), Canicola (23,08%), Tarassovi (23,08%), Autumnalis (15,38%), Bataviae (15,38%), Sejroe (15,38%) and Pyrogenes (7,69%). Although pathogenic serovars were not found among Vassouras inhabitants sera, the high prevalence of less pathogenic serovars (25,5%) points to high exposure to rodents’ urine and a consequent high risk for acquiring the severe form of leptospirosis if pathogenic serovars arise with migrant infect rodents to the city.

Keywords: Leptospira, leptospirosis, serovars, Vassouras.