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

Authors: CRANFORD, H - US Department Of Health And Human Services (HHS); BROWNE, A - US Department Of Health And Human Services (HHS); LECOUNT, K - Diagnostic Virology Laboratory/ National Veterinary Services Laboratories; ANDERSON, T - Diagnostic Virology Laboratory/ National Veterinary Services Laboratories; HAMOND, C - Diagnostic Virology Laboratory/ National Veterinary Services Laboratories; SCHLATER, L - Diagnostic Virology Laboratory/ National Veterinary Services Laboratories; STUBER, T - Diagnostic Virology Laboratory/ National Veterinary Services Laboratories; BURKE-FRANCE, V - US Department Of Health And Human Services (HHS); TAYLOR, M - US Department Of Health And Human Services (HHS); HARRISON, C - US Department Of Health And Human Services (HHS); MATIAS, K - US Department Of Health And Human Services (HHS); MEDLEY, A - Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) - United States; ROSSOW, J - Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) - United States; WIESE, N - Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) - United States; JANKELUNAS, L - Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) - United States; DE WILDE, L - US Department Of Health And Human Services (HHS); MEHALICK, M - St Croix Animal Welfare Center; BLANCHARD, G - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); GARCIA, K - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); MCKINLEY, A - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); LOMBARD, C - Us Fish And Wildlife Service; VALIULIS, JENNIFER - St Croix Environmental Association; BRADFORD, B - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA); BERENTSEN, A - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); SALZER, J - Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) - United States; GALLOWAY, R - Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) - United States; SCHAFER, I - Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) - United States; BISGARD, K - Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) - United States; ROTH, J - US Department Of Health And Human Services (HHS); ELLIS, B - US Department Of Health And Human Services (HHS); ELLIS, E - US Department Of Health And Human Services (HHS); Nally, Jarlath

Submitted to: PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/28/2021
Publication Date: 11/15/2021
Citation: Cranford, H.M., Browne, A.S., Lecount, K., Anderson, T., Hamond, C., Schlater, L., Stuber, T., Burke-France, V.J., Taylor, M., Harrison, C.J., Matias, K.Y., Medley, A., Rossow, J., Wiese, N., Jankelunas, L., De Wilde, L., Mehalick, M., Blanchard, G.L., Garcia, K.R., Mckinley, A.S., Lombard, C.D., Valiulis, J., Bradford, B., Berentsen, A., Salzer, J.S., Galloway, R., Schafer, I.J., Bisgard, K., Roth, J., Ellis, B.R., Ellis, E.M., Nally, J.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). Article e0009859. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0009859.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0009859

Interpretive Summary: The U.S. Virgin Islands were directly struck by Category 5 Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017, generating record-breaking rainfalls and extensive flooding. Following these natural disasters, the Virgin Islands Department of Health reported the first-ever cases of leptospirosis and a follow-up seroprevalence study among residents showed evidence of exposure to Leptospira. Since the transmission of leptospirosis is maintained by persistently infected domestic and wildlife animals that act as reservoir hosts of transmission, we collected serum and kidney samples from USVI mongoose to determine their role in the carriage of pathogenic Leptospira. Results confirm that over 10% of all mongooses sampled were actively excreting Leptospira into the environment. Three different species of pathogenic Leptospira were identified including L. borgpetersenii, L. kirschneri and L. interrogans. Concurrent passive surveillance of acute leptospirosis in dogs also identified L. kirschneri and L. interrogans highlighting the potential role of mongoose in transmission of acute disease to incidental hosts. These results provide novel findings that will be applied to limit future zoonotic transmission of leptospirosis in USVI.

Technical Abstract: During 2019–2020, the Virgin Islands Department of Health investigated potential animal reservoirs of Leptospira spp., the pathogenic 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), including St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John. Passive veterinary surveillance of Leptospira spp. in dogs is also described. 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 from 274 mongooses. Mongooses 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. Seroprevalence of mongooses for anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies was 34% (87/256) with agglutinating antibodies to the following serogroups identified: Sejroe, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Pyrogenes, Mini, Cynopteri, Australis, Hebdomadis, Autumnalis, Mankarso, Pomona, and Ballum . Of kidney specimens analyzed, 5.8% (16/270) were FAT positive, and 10% (27/274) had Leptospira bacterial isolates obtained. rt-PCR exhibited 12.4% (34/274) positivity. Leptospira isolates (n = 2) were also obtained from two clinically ill dogs. Of mongoose isolates, 25 were L. borgpetersenii, one was L. interrogans, and one was L. kirschneri; one dog isolate was L. interrogans, and one dog isolate was L. kirschneri. The culture and identification of Leptospira spp. in both asymptomatic mongooses and acutely ill dogs highlights the potential role of mongooses and dogs in disseminating Leptospira spp. to cause acute disease in other animals and people. We concluded that mongooses and dogs in USVI harbor pathogenic Leptospira bacteria and could play a role in the epidemiological cycle of leptospirosis between animals and humans .