Diagnosis of Leptospirosis in haemorrhagic fever in domestic animals of the Helleh River area in 2004 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) molecular technique

Leptospirosis is a globally important zoonotic disease with worldwide prevalence, caused by spirochetes from the genus Leptospira. Diagnosis based on serology requires testing of acute and convalescent sera. PCR techniques have high sensitivity and specificity for early diagnosis of this disease.

Sera of all (49 cases) livestock breeders of the Helleh River area and 200 domestic animals were collected after 7-10 days from the outbreak of haemorrhagic fever in domestic animals of the Helleh River area in 2004, following torrential rains and flooded water occurrence in this area, and were tested by PCR based on 16srRNA gene. PCR method was used for 60 sera of livestock breeders from the surroundings villages as the normal control group. The human sera were tested for anti-Leptospiral antibodies using ELISA methods for Leptospira IgM.

Leptospiral genomes were detected in 16 cases (32.65%) of livestock breeders and 19 cases (9.5 %) of domestic animals by PCR. But, in the normal control group, Leptospiral genomes were not detected. A number of 15 cases of livestock breeders of Helleh River area were positive for IgM-ELISA. Among the PCR positive cases (16 persons), 10 cases were negative and 6 cases were positive for IgM-ELISA.

The haemorrhagic fever in domestic animals of the Helleh River area in Bushehr is recognized to be Leptospirosis. The 16S rRNA-based PCR method can recognize pathogenic Leptospira in clinical samples and provides early decisive diagnosis possibility of active infection.