Relation between Specific Anti-Leptospira Antibodies in the Aqueous Humor of the Eye and Seroprevalence of Leptospirosis in Stallion in Veterinary Faculty of Islamic Azad University- Tabriz Branch

Leptospirosis is the most important zoonosis disease that is caused by Leptospira interrogans serovars. Leptospirosis is relatively mild and without any specific clinical signs in the horse, except for blindness due to recurrent uveitis. However, horses plays potential zoonotic role in human health. The aim of this study was to determination of seroprevalence of anti-leptospiral antibodies against six Leptospira serovars in stallions of Tabriz area. Examination of sera obtained from forty male horses were examined using MAT, revealed that 85 percent of animals were seropositive. The highest number of reactors in horses (65%) were due to serovar tarasovi, followed in descending order by australis (50%), icterohaemorrhagiae (25%), pomona (10%) and grippothyphosa (5%) and hardjo (5%). Eight horses had antibodies against one serovar, eighteen horses had against two serovar and six horses had specific antibodies against three serovars. Basis on age grouping of the horses, seropositive animals were 100 percent in 5-10 years, 80 percent in 10-15 years and 77.7 percent in 15-20 years old group. This differences was statically significant (P<0.05). Only four horses had specific antibodies against Leptospira in the aqueous humor of the eyes, which all belong to right eyes. In these positive animals, antibodies were against Leptospira interrogans serovar tarasovi with 1:100 titers. All four horses were seropositive, too. Five horses had signs of ocular involvement and blindness; only two and three horses had specific antibodies against Leptospira serovars in the aqueous humor of the eye and serum, respectively. Result of this study suggested that there were leptospiral infections in horse populations of Tabriz area, which is an important zoonotic and is an occupational hazard to horse owner, farmers, and veterinarians.