Background: Leptospirosis causes significant economic losses and is an occupational risk in the swine industry, especially in developing tropical regions where social and geoclimatic conditions are favorable for the transmission of this disease. Although vaccination can reduce infection risk, efficacy is diminished if local genetic and antigenic variants of the pathogen are not accounted for in the vaccine. Identifying and characterizing strains hosts, and potential mechanisms of transmission is therefore critical for public health mitigation practices.
Methodology/principal findings: Our study was conducted on a rural breeding farm in Ecuador, where we used a PCR assay that targets lipL32 to detect Leptospira spp. and targeted gene sequencing to identify Leptospira santarosai in the kidneys, testicles, and ejaculate of a vaccinated boar. MAT results showed low titers against serovars found in the vaccine, but the MAT panel did not include serovars of L. santarosai. The boar showed no symptoms of leptospirosis but did show blood in the semen. However, no postmortem histopathological lesions were observed tissue samples. Vaccinated sows that were artificially inseminated with the semen from this boar had reproductive problems, suggesting that transmission had occurred. This is the first documented case of Leptospira santarosai in the reproductive tract of a boar.
Conclusions/significance: As L. santarosai is pathogenic in other livestock species and humans, our finding highlights the need to evaluate the prevalence and epidemiological significance of this pathogen in livestock and consider the possibility of venereal transmission. In addition, further studies are needed to identify and characterize local serovars that may impact diagnosis and vaccination programs to better control leptospirosis in livestock and spillover into the human population.