Factors associated with Leptospira sp infection in a large urban center in northeastern Brazil

Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical

Cornell University, New York, USA¹  Guimarães, Patrícia¹  Mendes, Carlos Maurício Cardeal¹  Ministério da Saúde, Salvador¹  Teixeira, Maria Glória¹  Barreto, Maurício Lima¹  Fundação Oswaldo Cruz¹  Costa, Maria Conceição Nascimento¹  Dias, Juarez Pereira¹  Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador¹  Ko, Albert¹  Reis, Mitermayer Galvão¹ 

关键词: Leptospirosis;    Seroprevalence;    Epidemiology;    Urban epidemics;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S0037-86822007000500002

学科分类：农业科学（综合）

来源: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical

【 摘 要 】

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease that has emerged to cause epidemics in urban communities in developing countries. However, little is known about the infection in the general population. A seroprevalence survey was performed on a random sample of 1,390 subjects in Salvador, Brazil. Data on environmental and socioeconomic factors were collected. The microagglutination test of serum samples was used to show any prior Leptospira infection. The overall seroprevalence was 12.4%. Among the seropositive individuals, 111 (61%) had high titers for serovars of the Icterohaemorrhagiae serogroup. Seroprevalence increased with age and was similar for males and females. A positive correlation between Leptospira infection and low educational level was found. These findings indicate that a significant proportion of this urban population is exposed to pathogenic Leptospira. Public health actions for leptospirosis control will need to target not only the traditional groups at risk of infection with severe forms of this disease, but also the general population that is at risk.

【 授权许可】

Unknown