Prevalence of anti-Leptospira antibodies and associated risk factors in the Malaysian refugee communities

BackgroundRefugees in Malaysia, who are afflicted by poverty, conflict and poor health, are vulnerable to a range of zoonotic infections in the deprived environmental and social conditions under which they live. Exposure to infections such as leptospirosis, for which rodents are primary hosts, is of particular concern.MethodsA wellness program was conducted to determine the presence of antibodies against Leptospira (seroprevalence) in 11 refugee community schools and centers in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. A total of 433 samples were assessed for IgG and IgM antibodies against Leptospira, using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA).ResultsOverall Leptospira seroprevalence was 24.7%, with 3.0% being seropositive for anti-Leptospira IgG and 21.7% for anti-Leptospira IgM. Factors significantly associated with overall Leptospira seroprevalence included: age, ethnicity, pet ownership, knowledge of disease and awareness of disease fatality. For IgM seroprevalence, significant risk factors included sex, ethnicity, eating habits with hands, pet ownership, the presence of rats, walking in bare feet and water recreation visits.ConclusionsThese findings highlight the need for improvements in health and well-being among the refugee community through disease awareness programs and provision of healthy behavior programs, particularly in hygiene and sanitation through community engagement activities

Seroprevalence of Anti-Leptospira IgG and IgM Antibodies and Risk Assessment of Leptospirosis among Urban Poor Communities in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic bacterial disease caused by pathogenic species of the genus Leptospira. Disease incidenceisknowntobeattributed toenvironmental and social conditions which promote the spread ofreservoir hosts, primarily rodents. A well-being program was conducted to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors associated with leptospirosis inurban poor communities occupying low-cost flat accommodation and squatter settlements in the vicinity of Wilayah Persekutuan, Kuala Lumpur. Blood samples from a total of 532 volunteers were screened for the detection of IgG and IgM antibodies against leptospirosis using ELISA. Demographic data were collected for each participant through a questionnaire survey before blood collection. The overall seroprevalence was low (12.6%, n = 67/532; 95% CI: 9.9-15.7%), with 8.1% (n=43/532) being seropositive for anti-Leptospira Ig G, indicating previous infection, and 4.9% (n = 26/532) for anti-Leptospira Ig M, indicating current infection. Two significant factors such as host age (P ≤ 0.01) and knowledge of disease transmission (P = 0.017) significantly influenced the presence of anti-Leptospira Ig M, whereas the detection of anti-IgG indicated the presence of clean drinking water sources (P = 0.043). Despite the low prevalence, the transmission of leptospirosis does occur among urban poor communities, suggesting the need for undertaking public awareness programs. Copyright © 2019 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene