Mapping of poverty and likely zoonoses hotspots

The objective of this report is to present data and expert knowledge on poverty and zoonoses hotspots to inform prioritisation of study areas on the transmission of disease in emerging livestock systems in the developing world, where prevention of zoonotic disease might bring greatest benefit to poor people

A sero-epidemiological study of leptospirosis in Sarawak, Malaysia

Several recent outbreaks of leptospirosis involving human deaths have alarmed health professionals in Malaysia. The study outlined in this thesis was conducted to increase the understanding of the involvement of wildlife in the disease in Malaysia. A strain of Leptospira (designated Lepto 175 Sarawak) was isolated from water in Sarawak, Malaysia. This strain did not produce any titres towards other known Leptospira sera, and thus represents a novel serovar. This serovar had 99.1% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with Leptospira wolffii and was the dominant strain present in the region. In this study eight of the 12 non-human primates sampled (66.6%; 95% CI 34.9- 90.1) and 73 of 155 wild small mammals (47.1%: 95% CI 39.0-55.3) were seropositive to leptospires. The seroprevalence was slightly higher in rats than in squirrels or bats. Seropositive animals were detected in all localities sampled, with the highest prevalence at Mount Singai (64.7%; 95%CI 38.3-85.8). Antibodies were detected to two different serovars in non-human primates, eight serovars were detected in rats, six serovars in bats and five in squirrels. Of 155 kidney samples from individuals, 17 were positive for Leptospira on PCR analysis (11%; 95% CI 6.5-17). A cross-sectional serological survey of 198 humans was conducted in four villages around Kuching, Sarawak with 35.9% (95%CI 29.2-43.0) testing positive on the MAT. Antibodies to serovar Lepto 175 Sarawak were most commonly detected (31.3%; 95%CI 24.9-38.3) and were detected in individuals at all four locations. The presence of skin wounds (OR 3.1), farm animals (OR 2.5) and rats (OR 11.2) were all significantly associated with seropositivity in a multivariable logistic regression model. The results of the current study are important as wildlife may act as reservoirs of leptospires for humans. Health authorities should expand disease control measures to minimise the spill-over from wildlife to humans visiting, living or working in the sampled locations. The pathogenic status of serovar Lepto 175 Sarawak also requires further investigation

Emerging Infectious Diseases in Water Buffalo: An Economic and Public Health Concern

Water buffalo is an indispensable livestock in Asia and other countries due to its high meat and milk quality, aside from draft power source. It adapts well to tropical climate and has significant contribution to the livestock industry, provided with improved breeding and good animal husbandry practices. Infectious diseases are hindrance to good reproductive performance of livestock, resulting in huge economic loss. In addition, most of these diseases are zoonotic, posing serious threats on human health. However, its degree of severity varies in each region and is often overlooked. This chapter reviews the common and current updates on emerging bacterial, viral, protozoal, fungal and endoparasitic pathogens that infect water buffaloes worldwide. All of the diseases directly affect the animals’ health condition except for schistosomiasis where water buffalo played an important role as shedder of infection to humans. Leptospirosis, brucellosis, Bovine Tb, BVDV and fasciolosis have projected economic impact to water buffalo industry as well as its effect as zoonoses. However, the data seem underquantified since most are neglected diseases and are highly prevalent in developing countries. Further studies are needed particularly in countries where water buffalo is the major livestock than cattle to fully utilize the potential of the animal

Leptospirosis in cats : current literature review to guide diagnosis and management

Leptospirosis is the most widespread zoonosis worldwide. Mammals (eg, rats, horses, cows, pigs, dogs, cats and aquatic species, such as sea lions and northern elephant seals) can all be infected by leptospires. Infection in animals occurs through contact with urine or water contaminated with the bacteria. In people, the disease is acquired mainly from animal sources or through recreational activities in contaminated water

Serological Patterns of Brucellosis, Leptospirosis and Q Fever in Bos indicus Cattle in Cameroon

Brucellosis, leptospirosis and Q fever are important infections of livestock causing a range of clinical conditions including abortions and reduced fertility. In addition, they are all important zoonotic infections infecting those who work with livestock and those who consume livestock related products such as milk, producing non-specific symptoms including fever, that are often misdiagnosed and that can lead to severe chronic disease. This study used banked sera from the Adamawa Region of Cameroon to investigate the seroprevalences and distributions of seropositive animals and herds. A classical statistical and a multi-level prevalence modelling approach were compared. The unbiased estimates were 20% of herds were seropositive for Brucella spp. compared to 95% for Leptospira spp. and 68% for Q fever. The within-herd seroprevalences were 16%, 35% and 39% respectively. There was statistical evidence of clustering of seropositive brucellosis and Q fever herds. The modelling approach has the major advantage that estimates of seroprevalence can be adjusted for the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnostic test used and the multi-level structure of the sampling. The study found a low seroprevalence of brucellosis in the Adamawa Region compared to a high proportion of leptospirosis and Q fever seropositive herds. This represents a high risk to the human population as well as potentially having a major impact on animal health and productivity in the region

Bacterial Cattle Diseases

This book discusses important bacterial diseases and suggestive prevention strategies based on progress in this field. It includes four sections and five chapters that provide the most common diseases and an overview of the essential methods for their prevention and control.The book will be useful to researchers and students of veterinary sciences as well as those who are interested in cattle production.The book is the result of collaborating parties. I gratefully acknowledge the assistance provided by all authors who have contributed to the publication of this volume and the In-techOpen editorial office that initiated this project and saw it to its completion

The impact of leptospirosis in northern Tanzania

Leptospirosis is an underappreciated cause of human illness and livestock production loss in the tropics. Our understanding of the burden of disease, reservoirs and sources of human infection, and the performance of point-of-care diagnostic tests is limited in African countries. To fill data gaps, we recruited patients presenting with fever to two hospitals in Moshi, northern Tanzania, during 2012-2014 and at Endulen Hospital during 2016-17. We tested participants for leptospirosis using microscopic agglutination testing (MAT), Leptospira culture, and in a subset, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and IgM point-of-care tests and evaluated test accuracy. We conducted a case-control study to identify risk factors for acute leptospirosis and conducted a survey of community livestock owners across northern Tanzania. We estimated leptospirosis incidence from the prevalence in Moshi Rural and Moshi Urban Districts by using multipliers derived from a health-care utilisation survey and calculated disability adjusted life years (DALYs). We compared MAT serogroup reactivity and Leptospira species detected in people with those detected in animals. To assess potential animals hosts of Leptospira serogroups and species we conducted a systematic review of all typed isolations and PCR detections of Leptospira from animals. We estimated the incidence of leptospirosis in several districts in northern Tanzania using a model that predicted an individual’s probability of leptospirosis based on their risk factors and the presence of recent fever. We estimated the annual leptospirosis incidence in Moshi Rural and Moshi Urban Districts as 11-18 cases per 100,000 people and 169 DALYs lost annually. Annual incidence in surrounding Districts was up to 85 per 100,000 persons. At our Moshi and Endulen sites the most commonly reactive serogroups were Australis and Djasiman. The systematic review found that serovars from the Australis serogroup have been isolated in Africa from field rats, multi-mammate rats, and cattle. Serovars of the Djasiman serogroup have not been isolated in Africa but have been isolated from dogs and small mammals in South America, Asia, and Europe. Using PCR, we identified L. borgpetersenii, L. interrogans, and L. kirschneri in the serum of patients with fever. Working in rice fields (odds ratio [OR] 14.6, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 2.9-59.5), cleaning cattle waste (OR 4.3, CI 1.2-12.9), feeding cattle (OR 3.9, CI 1.3-10.3) and being a farmer (OR 3.3, CI 1.3-8.2) were risk factors for acute leptospirosis. Increasing cumulative cattle urine exposure (OR 2.3, CI 1.1-4.7) and rodent urine exposure (OR 1.7, CI 1.1-2.8) were associated with leptospirosis on bivariable but not multivariable logistic regression. Working in rice fields (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.5-9.0), slaughtering goats (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.0-4.8), working as a farmer (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.3-2.5), and frequently seeing rodents in the kitchen (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1-2.1) were risk factors for Leptospira seropositivity. All IgM point-of-care assays had low sensitivity compared with MAT. Leptospirosis causes substantial morbidity in northern Tanzania. Prevention of Leptospira infection in livestock is likely to reduce the burden of human leptospirosis. Clinicians should suspect leptospirosis in patients with fever who are rice workers or exposed to cattle urine, however IgM point-of-care tests are insufficiently accurate for clinical use