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Villanueva SYAM, Saito M, Baterna RA, Estrada CAM, Rivera AKB, Dato MC, Zamora PRFC, Segawa T, Cavinta LL, Fukui T, Masuzawa T, Yanagihara Y, Gloriani NG, Yoshida SI. Leptospira-rat-human relationship in Luzon, Philippines. Microbes Infect 2014; 16:902-10. [PMID: 25048015 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2014.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2014] [Revised: 06/11/2014] [Accepted: 07/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a zoonotic infection that is caused by the pathogenic species of Leptospira. Rats are the most important reservoirs of these organisms. Our study aimed to characterize Leptospira isolates from humans and rats and elucidate the Leptospira-rat-human relationship in Luzon, Philippines. Forty strains were isolated from humans and rats. The isolates were confirmed to be Leptospira and pathogenic through rrl- and flaB-PCR, respectively. Around 73% of the isolates were found to be lethal to hamsters. Serotyping showed that there were mainly three predominant leptospiral serogroups in the study areas namely Pyrogenes, Bataviae, and Grippotyphosa. Gyrase B gene sequence analysis showed that all the isolates belonged to Leptospira interrogans. Most had 100% similarity with serovar Manilae (15/40), serovar Losbanos (8/40), and serogroup Grippotyphosa (8/40). Strains from each group had highly identical pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns and were further grouped as A (Pyrogenes, 14), B (Bataviae, 8), and C (Grippotyphosa, 10). Results further revealed that similar serotypes were isolated from both humans and rats in the same areas. It is suggested that these three predominant groups with highly similar intra-group PFGE patterns may have been primarily transmitted by rats and persistently caused leptospirosis in humans particularly in the Luzon islands.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mitsumasa Saito
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Rubelia A Baterna
- Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines-Manila, Manila 1000, Philippines
| | - Crystal Amiel M Estrada
- Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines-Manila, Manila 1000, Philippines
| | - Ana Kriselda B Rivera
- Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines-Manila, Manila 1000, Philippines
| | - Micaella C Dato
- Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines-Manila, Manila 1000, Philippines
| | | | - Takaya Segawa
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Lolita L Cavinta
- Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines-Manila, Manila 1000, Philippines
| | - Takashi Fukui
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba Institute of Science, Chiba 288-0025, Japan
| | - Toshiyuki Masuzawa
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba Institute of Science, Chiba 288-0025, Japan
| | - Yasutake Yanagihara
- College of Medicine, University of the Philippines-Manila, Manila 1000, Philippines
| | - Nina G Gloriani
- Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines-Manila, Manila 1000, Philippines
| | - Shin-ichi Yoshida
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
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Villanueva SYAM, Saito M, Tsutsumi Y, Segawa T, Baterna RA, Chakraborty A, Asoh T, Miyahara S, Yanagihara Y, Cavinta LL, Gloriani NG, Yoshida SI. High virulence in hamsters of four dominant Leptospira serovars isolated from rats in the Philippines. Microbiology (Reading) 2013; 160:418-428. [PMID: 24257815 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.072439-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Leptospirosis is caused by pathogenic species of Leptospira. The aim of this study was to determine and characterize the pathogenicity of four dominant Leptospira isolates prevailing among rats in the Philippines. The isolates were Leptospira interrogans serovar Manilae strain K64, L. interrogans serovar Losbanos strain K37, L. interrogans serovar Ratnapura strain K5 and Leptospira borgpetersenii serovar Javanica strain K6. Pathogenicities were studied using hamsters, which reproduce severe human leptospirosis. The minimum lethal doses were 10(0) ( = 1) leptospires for K64, K37 and K5, and 10(1) leptospires for K6. Weight loss amongst the Leptospira-infected hamsters was observed from 1 day before death (K64-, K37- and K5-infected hamsters) to as much as 1 week before death for K6-infected hamsters. Similar and varied gross and microscopic lesions were observed amongst infected hamsters, even for strains belonging to the same species (i.e. L. interrogans). The most significant and common histopathological findings were congestion of the glomerulus, disarrangement of hepatic cords and erythrophagocytosis. Other findings were foamy splenic macrophages for K6, severe petechial pulmonary haemorrhage for K64, and hematuria and severe pulmonary congestion for K37. Immunostaining and culture revealed the presence of leptospires in different organs of the infected hamsters. Based on these results, Leptospira isolates from rats in the Philippines were shown to be highly virulent, causing pulmonary haemorrhage, severe hepato-renal damage and death in hamsters even at lower doses. The present findings on experimental leptospirosis support clinical data showing that patients with severe manifestations of leptospirosis, such as pulmonary haemorrhage, are increasing in the Philippines. These findings may serve as a basis to strengthen the early diagnosis and treatment of human leptospirosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Y A M Villanueva
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Mitsumasa Saito
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Yutaka Tsutsumi
- Department of Pathology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan
| | - Takaya Segawa
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Rubelia A Baterna
- Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines-Manila, Manila 1000, Philippines
| | - Antara Chakraborty
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Tatsuma Asoh
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Satoshi Miyahara
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Yasutake Yanagihara
- Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines-Manila, Manila 1000, Philippines
| | - Lolita L Cavinta
- Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines-Manila, Manila 1000, Philippines
| | - Nina G Gloriani
- Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines-Manila, Manila 1000, Philippines
| | - Shin-Ichi Yoshida
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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