Leptospirosis Seroconversion Surveillance Among US Marines Assigned to Japan, 2011-2015

Hua-Wei Chen; Zhiwen Zhang; Tatyana Belinskaya; Maya Williams; Wei-Mei Ching

doi:10.1093/milmed/usz195

Leptospirosis Seroconversion Surveillance Among US Marines Assigned to Japan, 2011-2015

Mil Med. 2020 Jan 7;185(Suppl 1):624-627. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usz195.

Authors

Hua-Wei Chen¹, Zhiwen Zhang¹, Tatyana Belinskaya¹, Maya Williams¹, Wei-Mei Ching¹

Affiliation

¹ Naval Medical Research Center, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910 Presented as a poster at the 2018 Military Health System research Symposium, August 2018, Kissimmee, FL; abstract #MHSRS-18-0060. The study protocol was approved by the Naval Medical Research Center Institutional Review Board in compliance with all applicable Federal regulations governing the protection of human subjects. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, or the US Government. This work was prepared as part of the authors' official duties. Title 17 U.S.C. §105 provides that `Copyright protection under this title is not available for any work of the United States Government.' Title 17 U.S.C. §101 defines a U.S. Government work as a work prepared by military service member or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person's official duties.

PMID: 31498402
DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usz195

Abstract

Introduction: Leptospirosis is a global zoonotic disease spread through contact with contaminated water/soil. The US soldiers at the military bases in these countries are extremely vulnerable, as most of them are immunologically naïve to the responsible pathogen. No recent sero-epidemiological data of leptospirosis among US Marines stationed in Japan were available.

Materials and methods: In this study, we analyzed the presence of leptospirosis in US Marines stationed in Japan. One thousand posttour sera samples were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for Leptospira-specific Immunoglobulin G.

Results: Among these 1,000 posttour samples, 85 of them were positive and corresponding pretour samples were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay also. Seroconversion occurred for 35 (3.5%) Marines during their assignment to Japan. These results also indicate that 50 Marine personnels were exposed to leptospires before their assignment to Japan, perhaps because of previous exposure to leptospires at home.

Conclusion: The 5% rate of seroconversion in 2013 and 2014 suggests that leptospirosis is a potential threat for Marines in the endemic region in Japan.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Adult
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / methods
Humans
Japan
Leptospira / pathogenicity
Leptospirosis / blood
Leptospirosis / diagnosis*
Male
Military Personnel / statistics & numerical data*
Population Surveillance / methods
Seroconversion / drug effects*
United States / ethnology