Diversity of Leptospira spp. in bats and rodents from Papua New Guinea

Leptospirosis is the most common bacterial zoonosis globally. The pathogen, Leptospira spp., is primarily associated with rodent reservoirs. However, a wide range of other species has been implicated as reservoirs or dead-end hosts. We conducted a survey for Leptospira spp. in bats and rodents from Papua New Guinea. Kidney samples were collected from 97 pteropodid bats (five species), 37 insectivorous bats from four different families (six species) and 188 rodents (two species). Leptospires were detected in a high proportion of pteropodid bats, including Nyctimene cf. albiventer (35%), Macroglossus minimus (34%) and Rousettus amplexicaudatus (36%). Partial sequencing of the secY gene from rodent and bat leptospires showed host species clustering, with Leptospira interrogans and L. weilii detected in rodents and L. kirschneri and a potential novel species of Leptospira detected in bats. Further research is needed in Papua New Guinea and other locales in the Pacific region to gain a better understanding of the circulation dynamics of leptospires in reservoir species and the risks to public and veterinary health

Prevalence of Leptospira spp. in rats from Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea

Leptospirosis (Weil’s disease) is highly prevalent in the tropics, where conditions for its transmission are favourable. Rodents are the main reservoir in developing nations. Recent studies into leptospirosis in Papua New Guinea have focused on cattle and little to no work has been done to determine the prevalence in humans and rodents. A total of 188 rats were trapped from six different sites in the Eastern Highlands Province during 2014-2015. DNA samples extracted from rat kidneys were screened for Leptospira spp. by real-time polymerase chain reaction, with 44/188 (23%) positive. Leptospira prevalence by rat species was 8/39 (21%) for Rattus rattus and 36/149 (24%) for Rattus exulans. This is the first report of the prevalence of Leptospira spp. in Papua New Guinean rats