Surveillance of leptospirosis after flooding at Loei Province, Thailand by year 2002

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 2005:36 Suppl 4:202-5.

Abstract

In this surveillance, suspected leptospirosis patients in Loei Hospital, Loei Province were studied by conventional methods of cultivation and microscopic agglutination test (MAT) during July-October, 2002. It was found that 63% of 64 admitted patients and 35% of 34 outpatients were found positive by leptospire cultivation. Antibodies determined by MAT were positive in 78% of 63 admitted patients. Particularly, the five most common agglutinating antibodies were reactive with serovars bratislava (57%), autumnalis (48%), new (38%), australis (37%) and bangkok (29%). The MAT results of 15 OPD patients were 67% positive with the following five serovars, including bratislava (47%), new (20%), bangkok (7%), ranarum (7%) and australis (7%). Accordingly, preventive strategies against leptospirosis outbreaks after flooding in Thailand should be undertaken, including the prompt treatment of the disease in this endemic area.

MeSH terms

  • Agglutination Tests
  • Antibodies, Bacterial*
  • Disasters*
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Humans
  • Leptospira / classification
  • Leptospira / immunology*
  • Leptospira / isolation & purification
  • Leptospirosis / blood
  • Leptospirosis / epidemiology*
  • Leptospirosis / immunology
  • Population Surveillance / methods*
  • Risk Assessment
  • Risk Factors
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Thailand / epidemiology
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial