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Tsai CT, Lin JN, Lee CH, Sun W, Chang YC, Chen YH, Lai CH. The epidemiology, characteristics and outbreaks of human leptospirosis and the association with animals in Taiwan, 2007-2014: A nationwide database study. Zoonoses Public Health 2020; 67:156-166. [PMID: 31916706 DOI: 10.1111/zph.12667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Revised: 10/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leptospirosis (LS) is a neglected tropical zoonosis of global importance. A nationwide investigation of characteristics, epidemiology, risk factors and outbreak is crucial for awareness of this disease. METHODS A nationwide database of reported LS cases from October 2007 to December 2014 obtained from the Centers for Disease Control, Taiwan, was analysed. Geographic information system software was used to map the distribution of confirmed LS cases and pigs. Cross-matching with the databases of Q fever, scrub typhus and murine typhus was conducted to identify possible coinfections. RESULTS A total of 10,917 reported cases of LS were recorded in the database, which included 665 (6.1%) confirmed LS and 10,252 (93.9%) non-confirmed LS cases. The major residences of confirmed LS were the Kaohsiung-Pingtung (248, 37.3%) and Taipei (174, 26.2%) regions. The average annual incidence was 0.4/100,000 people. Compared with non-confirmed LS cases, confirmed LS cases had significantly higher percentages of male gender (83.6% vs. 67.9%, p < .001), high-risk occupations (farmer, animal husbandry or veterinarian) (24.8% vs. 13.7%, p < .001), residence in the Kaohsiung-Pingtung region (37.3% vs. 19.6%, p < .001) and exposure to rats (8.6% vs. 4.9%, p = .001) or pigs (9.4% vs. 1.9%, p < .001) but a lower mean age (47.8 ± 15.1 vs. 51.±18.5 years old). Rat and pig exposure trends were found in the northern and southern regions, respectively. Distribution of LS was consistent with pigs, and one outbreak associated with flooding and pigs occurred in the Pingtung region in 2009. Twenty-three and four patients with LS were coinfected with scrub typhus and Q fever, respectively. CONCLUSIONS LS is an endemic disease in Taiwan, particularly in the Kaohsiung-Pingtung and Taipei regions. High-risk occupations and animal exposure history are important for the clinical presumptive diagnosis of LS, particularly for rats in northern Taiwan and pigs in southern Taiwan. Although uncommon, clinicians should be aware of coinfection of LS with endemic rickettsial diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Ta Tsai
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Infection Control, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Jiun-Nong Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Critical Care Medicine, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Hsiang Lee
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Wu Sun
- Infection Control Department, Pao-Chien Hospital, Pingtung County, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chin Chang
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Hsu Chen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,School of Medicine, Graduate Institute of Medicine, Sepsis Research Center, Center of Dengue Fever Control and Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Biological Science and Technology, College of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, HsinChu, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Hsu Lai
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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Villanueva SYAM, Ezoe H, Baterna RA, Yanagihara Y, Muto M, Koizumi N, Fukui T, Okamoto Y, Masuzawa T, Cavinta LL, Gloriani NG, Yoshida SI. Serologic and molecular studies of Leptospira and leptospirosis among rats in the Philippines. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2010; 82:889-98. [PMID: 20439972 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2010.09-0711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Rats are known to be the most important reservoirs and transmission sources of leptospirosis. However, the status of leptospirosis in the Philippines regarding reservoirs and transmission remains unknown. A survey was conducted in Metro Manila and Laguna that analyzed samples obtained from 106 rats. Using the microscopic agglutination test, we found that 92% of rat serum samples were positive for anti-Leptospira antibodies; the most common infecting serovars were Manilae, Hebdomadis, and Losbanos. On the basis of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and gyrase B gene sequence analyses, four groups of rat kidney isolates were found: L. interrogans serovar Manilae, serovar Losbanos, and serogroup Grippotyphosa, and L. borgpetersenii serogroup Javanica. Most isolates were lethal after experimental infection of golden Syrian hamsters. Results showed that these four Leptospira serovars and serogroups are circulating among rats, and that these animals may be one of the possible transmission sources of leptospirosis in the Philippines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Y A M Villanueva
- Department of Bacteriology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
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Pai HH, Hong YJ, Wang CH. A community-based surveillance on determinants of rodent infestation. Kaohsiung J Med Sci 2003; 19:13-8. [PMID: 12693721 DOI: 10.1016/s1607-551x(09)70442-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodent infestation is an important factor in the transmission of infectious diseases of public health importance. From October to November 1998, surveillance stations were established in 110 boroughs of Kaohsiung City in southern Taiwan. Boroughs were chosen by random sampling 10 boroughs from each of 11 districts (464 boroughs) in the city. The extent of rodent infestation was determined by cage trapping. The possibility of applying a community-based control program was evaluated by investigating associated demographic and environmental factors as well as related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. A total of 90 rodents were trapped in 41% of the 110 boroughs. Using univariate analyses, 17 factors were significantly associated with rodent infestation. A lack of knowledge that rodent control relies on community cooperation was the most important factor among the seven variables associated with the extent of rodent infestation (OR 3.1) by logistic multiple regression. This revealed the importance of community cooperation in controlling rodent infestation. Moreover, improvement of environmental hygiene associated with garbage problems, such as cleanliness of storage rooms and closets, and the hygiene of empty space and resource recycling stations should not be ignored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiu-Hua Pai
- Department of Public Health, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
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