Vol. 9, Issue 2, Part H (2024)

Author(s): Sunayana Kanthala, Dharmesh R Patel, V Balamurugan, K Vinod Kumar, Pushpa M Makwana, Dixit K Parasana, Pralhad S Chaudhary and Irsadullahkhan H Kalyani

Abstract: Leptospirosis is neglected zoonotic infection caused by bacterium Leptospira having public health significant due to increasing prevalence in the world. It is caused by pathogenic spirochetes that belong to genus Leptospira. In our study, A total of 410 serum samples were collected from different breeds of dog from Navsari, Surat and Valsad districts of southern Gujarat. Microscopic agglutination test (MAT) was conducted to screen these samples by using a battery of 20 live known leptospira serovars. A total of 45 samples were positive out of 410 samples at titre of 1:50 or above with seroprevalence rate of 10.98%. Serovars found in our study in ascending orders were Lai (2.20%), Icterohaemorrhagiae (2.20%) Javanica (4.40%), Ballum (11.10%), Panama (13.30%), Grippotyphosa (15.60%), Canicola (15.60%), Hurstbridge (17.80%), Djasiman (20.00%), Shermani (22.20%) and Pyrogenes (24.40%). Serovars found with high percent were Djasiman, Pyrogenes and Shermani while the least serovars found were Lai, Icterohaemorrhagiae and Javanica and in and around Navsari district, Southern Gujarat region. Though, the dogs are vaccinated, they can acquire infection from other serovars of leptospira that was not used in immunization and the serovars in current vaccine doesn’t provide cross protection against other leptospiral serovars. So, it is better to incorporate the serovar/s specific vaccine which is/are endemic at a particular geographically area.