Detection and genotyping of Leptospira spp. from the kidneys of a seemingly healthy pig slaughtered for human consumption

Authors

  • Ashutosh Verma Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts
  • Esteban Soto Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts
  • Oscar Illanes Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts
  • Souvik Ghosh Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts
  • Carmen Fuentealba Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.5727

Keywords:

Leptospirosis, Leptospira, swine, genotyping, Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST)

Abstract

Introduction: Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic Leptospira spp.  Leptospirosis is maintained in an environment due to chronic kidney infection of a wide variety of domestic, peridomestic and wild reservoir mammals. In this study the role of pigs in maintenance of leptospires on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts was investigated.

Methodology: The condemned kidneys of 60 pigs slaughtered at a St. Kitts abattoir were screened by a quantitative-PCR for the presence of Leptospira spp. Positive samples were genotyped using a six-gene based multilocus sequence typing scheme.

Results: Leptospiral DNA was detected in the kidneys of one of the 60 pigs. Multilocus sequence typing identified the infecting species to be L. interrogans.

Conclusions: Detection of this zoonotic pathogen in the kidneys of a seemingly healthy pig raises concerns regarding the subclinical carriers of the disease among the island’s swine population.

Author Biographies

Ashutosh Verma, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts

Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences

Esteban Soto, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts

Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences

Oscar Illanes, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts

Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences

Souvik Ghosh, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts

Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences

Carmen Fuentealba, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts

Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences

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Published

2015-05-18

How to Cite

1.
Verma A, Soto E, Illanes O, Ghosh S, Fuentealba C (2015) Detection and genotyping of Leptospira spp. from the kidneys of a seemingly healthy pig slaughtered for human consumption. J Infect Dev Ctries 9:530–532. doi: 10.3855/jidc.5727

Issue

Section

Brief Original Articles