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

Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical

Juarez Pereira Dias²  Maria Glória Teixeira²  Maria Conceição Nascimento Costa²  Carlos Maurício Cardeal Mendes²  Patrícia Guimarães¹  Mitermayer Galvão Reis¹  Albert Ko¹  Maurício Lima Barreto² 

[1] ,Universidade Federal da Bahia Instituto de Saúde Coletiva Salvador BA

关键词: Leptospirosis;    Seroprevalence;    Epidemiology;    Urban epidemics;    Leptospirose;    Soroprevalência;    Epidemiologia;    Epidemias urbanas;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S0037-86822007000500002

来源: SciELO

【 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】

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