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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #318656

Title: Prevalence of antileptospiral serum antibodies in dogs in Ireland

Author
item SCHULLER, SIMONE - University Of Bern
item ARENT, ZBIGNIEW - Agri-Food And Biosciences Institute
item GILMORE, COLM - Agri-Food And Biosciences Institute
item Nally, Jarlath

Submitted to: Veterinary Record
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/30/2015
Publication Date: 8/1/2015
Citation: Schuller, S., Arent, Z., Gilmore, C., Nally, J.E. 2015. Prevalence of antileptospiral serum antibodies in dogs in Ireland. Veterinary Record. 177(5):126. doi: 10.1136/vr.102916.

Interpretive Summary: Whilst over 250 serovars of Leptospira have been typed to date, a relatively small number of serovars are associated with canine leptospirosis. Historically, serovars associated with canine leptospirosis include serovars Canicola and Icterohaemorrhagiae and thus they are the primary components of canine vaccines for leptospirosis. However, in recent years, additional serovars have been associated with canine leptospirosis and thus alternative canine vaccines are available to include serovars Pomona, Grippotyphosa and Bratislava. In this study, a seroprevalence study was performed on a subset of Irish dogs to determine which serovars they have been exposed to. Results indicate that vaccination with multivalent vaccines containing serovar Bratislava in addition to serogroups Icterohaemorrhagiae and Canicola is advisable.

Technical Abstract: A total of 474 serum samples from client owned Irish dogs were tested for the presence of antibodies against serovars Canicola, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Bratislava, Autumnalis, Pomona, Altodouro, Grippotyphosa, Mozdok, Hardjobovis and Ballum. Six percent of dogs presented to veterinary practitioners for problems unrelated to leptospirosis showed evidence of prior exposure to leptospiral serovars belonging to the serogroups Ballum, Australis, Pomona and Sejroe. One unvaccinated dog suspected to have leptospirosis showed seroconversion to serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae. Based on these results we conclude that canine exposure to serogroup Ballum should be monitored because dogs may serve as sentinels for this serovar in the environment. Vaccination with multivalent vaccines containing serovar Bratislava in addition to serogroups Icterohaemorrhagiae and Canicola is advisable.