Mongooses (Urva auropunctata) as reservoir hosts of Leptospira species in the United States Virgin Islands, 2019–2020

Neela, Vasantha kumari and Cranford, Hannah M. and Browne, A. Springer and LeCount, Karen and Anderson, Tammy and Hamond, Camila and Schlater, Linda and Stuber, Tod and Burke-France, Valicia J. and Taylor, Marissa and Harrison, Cosme J. and Matias, Katia Y. and Medley, Alexandra and Rossow, John and Wiese, Nicholas and Jankelunas, Leanne and de Wilde, Leah and Mehalick, Michelle and Blanchard, Gerard L. and Garcia, Keith R. and McKinley, Alan S. and Lombard, Claudia D. and Angeli, Nicole F. and Horner, David and Kelley, Thomas and Worthington, David J. and Valiulis, Jennifer and Bradford, Bethany and Berentsen, Are and Salzer, Johanna S. and Galloway, Renee and Schafer, Ilana J. and Bisgard, Kristine and Roth, Joseph and Ellis, Brett R. and Ellis, Esther M. and Nally, Jarlath E. (2021) Mongooses (Urva auropunctata) as reservoir hosts of Leptospira species in the United States Virgin Islands, 2019–2020. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 15 (11). e0009859. ISSN 1935-2735

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Abstract

During 2019–2020, the Virgin Islands Department of Health investigated potential animal reservoirs of Leptospira spp., the bacteria that cause leptospirosis. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated Leptospira spp. exposure and carriage in the small Indian mongoose (Urva auropunctata, syn: Herpestes auropunctatus), an invasive animal species. This study was conducted across the three main islands of the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), which are St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John. We used the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), fluorescent antibody test (FAT), real-time polymerase chain reaction (lipl32 rt-PCR), and bacterial culture to evaluate serum and kidney specimens and compared the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of these laboratory methods. Mongooses (n = 274) were live-trapped at 31 field sites in ten regions across USVI and humanely euthanized for Leptospira spp. testing. Bacterial isolates were sequenced and evaluated for species and phylogenetic analysis using the ppk gene. Anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies were detected in 34% (87/256) of mongooses. Reactions were observed with the following serogroups: Sejroe, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Pyrogenes, Mini, Cynopteri, Australis, Hebdomadis, Autumnalis, Mankarso, Pomona, and Ballum. Of the kidney specimens examined, 5.8% (16/270) were FAT-positive, 10% (27/274) were culture-positive, and 12.4% (34/274) were positive by rt-PCR. Of the Leptospira spp. isolated from mongooses, 25 were L. borgpetersenii, one was L. interrogans, and one was L. kirschneri. Positive predictive values of FAT and rt-PCR testing for predicting successful isolation of Leptospira by culture were 88% and 65%, respectively. The isolation and identification of Leptospira spp. in mongooses highlights the potential role of mongooses as a wildlife reservoir of leptospirosis; mongooses could be a source of Leptospira spp. infections for other wildlife, domestic animals, and humans.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: STM Repository > Biological Science
Depositing User: Managing Editor
Date Deposited: 07 Apr 2023 05:39
Last Modified: 25 Nov 2024 08:24
URI: http://classical.goforpromo.com/id/eprint/1960

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