Muskrats are greater carriers of pathogenic Leptospira than coypus in ecosystems with temperate climates

PLoS One. 2020 Feb 19;15(2):e0228577. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228577. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Knowledge on the possible sources of human leptospirosis, other than rats, is currently lacking. To assess the distribution pattern of exposure and infection by Leptospira serogroups in the two main semi-aquatic rodents of Western France, coypus (Myocastor coypus) and muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus), results of micro-agglutination testing and renal tissue PCR were used. In coypus, the apparent prevalence was 11% (n = 524, CI95% = [9% - 14%]), seroprevalence was 42% (n = 590, CI95% = [38% - 46%]), and the predominant serogroup was Australis (84%). In muskrats, the apparent prevalence was 33% (n = 274, CI95% = [27% - 39%]), seroprevalence was 57% (n = 305, CI95% = [52% - 63%]), and the predominant serogroup was Grippotyphosa (47%). Muskrats should therefore be considered an important source of Grippotyphosa infection in humans and domestic animals exposed in this part of France.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
  • Arvicolinae / blood
  • Arvicolinae / immunology
  • Arvicolinae / microbiology*
  • Carrier State / blood
  • Carrier State / immunology
  • Carrier State / microbiology*
  • Climate
  • Ecosystem
  • Kidney / microbiology
  • Leptospira / immunology
  • Leptospira / pathogenicity*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial

Grants and funding

Sampling and analysis were mainly funded by the French Ministry of Agriculture in the framework of the GEDUVER project run by French national federation for pest control (Fédération nationale de lutte contre les organismes nuisibles, FNLON). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.