1.Detection and distribution of anti-leptospiral antibody among dogs and their handlers
Goh, S.H. ; Khor, K.H. ; Ismail, R. ; Megat Abdul Rani, P.A. ; Mohd Mohidin, T.B. ; Bahaman, A.R. ; Khairani-Bejo, S. ; Radzi, R. ; Alashraf, A.R. ; Sabri, A.R. ; Lau, S.F.
Tropical Biomedicine 2020;37(No.4):1074-1082
The incidence of leptospirosis seems to be on the rise and could be an alarming
indirect indication of a global re-emergence. It is a potential public health threat when dogs
are speculated to be involved in the transmission of leptospirosis through possible subclinical harbouring of Leptospira spp. and subsequent shedding into the environment. This
study aimed to detect anti-leptospiral antibodies among dogs and their handlers using the
microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Blood samples from 266 apparently healthy dogs and
194 dog handlers were collected at four working dog organisations and four dog shelters.
Serum samples were tested using MAT against 20 leptospiral serovars with a cut-off titre
>1:100 (dog) and >1:50 (dog handlers). Seventy dogs (70/266; 26.3%) were seropositive
mainly against serovars Icterohaemorrhagiae, Ballum, Bataviae and Javanica (titres ranged:
1:100–1:800). Sixty-seven dog handlers (67/194; 34.5%) were seropositive mainly against
serovars Grippotyphosa, Icterohaemorrhagiae and Malaysia (titres ranged: 1:50–1:200). Dogs
were seropositive due to exposure, vaccination or active infection. Seropositive dog handlers
could indicate exposure or active infection. This shows the potential of dogs in maintaining
and spreading the infection in Malaysia. Due to the occupational risk as a result of frequent
contact with dogs and exposure to contaminated environments, dog handlers should be made
aware of the presence of this zoonotic disease.
Result Analysis
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