Leptospira Infection Prevalence in Small Mammal Host Populations on Three Hawaiian Islands

• Published in: The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene Vol. 87; no. 2; pp. 337 - 341
• Main Authors: WONG, Mayee, KATZ, Alan R, DONGMEI LI, WILCOX, Bruce A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Deerfield, IL American Society of Tropical Medecine and Hygiene 01.08.2012; The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
• Subjects: Agglutination Tests - veterinary; Animals; Antibodies, Bacterial - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Chi-Square Distribution; Female; Hawaii - epidemiology; Infectious diseases; Leptospira; Leptospira - classification; Leptospira - isolation & purification; Leptospirosis - epidemiology; Leptospirosis - microbiology; Leptospirosis - veterinary; Male; Mammals - microbiology; Medical sciences; Prevalence; Retrospective Studies; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Zoonoses - epidemiology; Zoonoses - microbiology; Hawaii; USA, Hawaii; Prevalence; Spirochaetales; Leptospiraceae; Bacteria; Tropical medicine; Epidemiology; Leptospira
• ISSN: 0002-9637; 1476-1645
• DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2012.12-0187

We describe the geographic distribution and variation in host-pathogen specificity for Leptospira-infected small mammals collected concurrently from three Hawaiian Islands over a period of 14 years: 1990-2003. Four serogroups (Icterohaemorrhagiae, Ballum, Sejroe, and Australis) were identified from the 15,171 animals tested. Serogroup prevalence differed across host species and islands (P < 0.0001 for each), but not across years. The host associations and biogeographic patterns of Leptospira in Hawaii indicate a pathogen community shaped by ecological factors.