Publications

a gene transfer agent and a dynamic repertoire of secretion systems hold the keys to the explosive radiation of the emerging pathogen bartonella.	gene transfer agents (gtas) randomly transfer short fragments of a bacterial genome. a novel putative gta was recently discovered in the mouse-infecting bacterium bartonella grahamii. although gtas are widespread in phylogenetically diverse bacteria, their role in evolution is largely unknown. here, we present a comparative analysis of 16 bartonella genomes ranging from 1.4 to 2.6 mb in size, including six novel genomes from bartonella isolated from a cow, two moose, two dogs, and a kangaroo. a ...	2013	23555299
the first case in japan of severe human leptospirosis imported from vietnam.	leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis and common in tropical and subtropical areas with high rainfall. it should be noted as an imported infectious disease although it is sporadic in japan. some imported cases already have been reported in japan and these cases occurred mainly in southeast asia. the case discussed in this article is the first reported japanese case infected in vietnam. four days after returning back to japan after a two-week stay in the mountain area near hue, in the middle part ...	2013	24505215
leptospiral outer membrane protein lipl41 is not essential for acute leptospirosis but requires a small chaperone protein, lep, for stable expression.	leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis caused by pathogenic leptospira spp., but knowledge of leptospiral pathogenesis remains limited. however, the development of mutagenesis systems has allowed the investigation of putative virulence factors and their involvement in leptospirosis. lipl41 is the third most abundant lipoprotein found in the outer membranes of pathogenic leptospires and has been considered a putative virulence factor. lipl41 is encoded on the large chromosome 28 bp upstream of a s ...	2013	23690405
a phylogenomic and molecular signature based approach for characterization of the phylum spirochaetes and its major clades: proposal for a taxonomic revision of the phylum.	the spirochaetes species cause many important diseases including syphilis and lyme disease. except for their containing a distinctive endoflagella, no other molecular or biochemical characteristics are presently known that are specific for either all spirochaetes or its different families. we report detailed comparative and phylogenomic analyses of protein sequences from spirochaetes genomes to understand their evolutionary relationships and to identify molecular signatures for this group. these ...	2013	23908650
development of immunochromatography-based methods for detection of leptospiral lipopolysaccharide antigen in urine.	leptospirosis is an infectious disease caused by the spirochete bacteria leptospira spp. and is commonly found throughout the world. diagnosis of leptospirosis performed by culture and microscopic agglutination tests is laborious and time-consuming. therefore, we aimed to develop a novel immunochromatography (icg)-based method for detecting leptospira antigen in the urine of patients and animals. we used the 1h6 monoclonal antibody (mab), which is specific to the lipopolysaccharide (lps) that is ...	2013	23467776
pathogenic leptospira species acquire factor h and vitronectin via the surface protein lcpa.	upon infection, pathogenic leptospira species bind several complement regulators in order to overcome host innate immunity. we previously characterized a 20-kda leptospiral surface protein which interacts with c4b binding protein (c4bp): leptospiral complement regulator-acquiring protein a (lcpa). here we show that lcpa also interacts with human factor h (fh), which remains functionally active once bound to the protein. antibodies directed against short consensus repeat 20 (scr20) inhibited bind ...	2014	25534939
pathogenic leptospira species acquire factor h and vitronectin via the surface protein lcpa.	upon infection, pathogenic leptospira species bind several complement regulators in order to overcome host innate immunity. we previously characterized a 20-kda leptospiral surface protein which interacts with c4b binding protein (c4bp): leptospiral complement regulator-acquiring protein a (lcpa). here we show that lcpa also interacts with human factor h (fh), which remains functionally active once bound to the protein. antibodies directed against short consensus repeat 20 (scr20) inhibited bind ...	2014	25534939
high sensitive pcr method for detection of pathogenic leptospira spp. in paraffin-embedded tissues.	this study describes the development and application of a new pcr assay for the specific detection of pathogenic leptospires and its comparison with a previously reported pcr protocol. new primers were designed for pcr optimization and evaluation in artificially-infected paraffin-embedded tissues. pcr was then applied to post-mortem, paraffin-embedded samples, followed by amplicon sequencing. the pcr was more efficient than the reported protocol, allowing the amplification of expected dna fragme ...	2014	25229221
evolution of the rnase p rna structural domain in leptospira spp.	we have employed the rnase p rna (rpr) gene, which is present as single copy in chromosome i of leptospira spp. to investigate the phylogeny of structural domains present in the rna subunit of the trna processing enzyme, rnase p. rpr gene sequences of 150 strains derived from ncbi database along with sequences determined from 8 reference strains were examined to fathom strain specific structural differences present in leptospiral rpr. sequence variations in the rpr gene impacted on the configura ...	2014	25463388
interlaboratory and between-specimen comparisons of diagnostic tests for leptospirosis in sheep and cattle.	a study was performed to investigate interlaboratory test agreement between a research and a commercial veterinary diagnostic laboratory on blood and urine samples, and to investigate test agreement between blood, urine, and kidney samples (research laboratory) for leptospirosis diagnosis. samples were sourced from 399 sheep and 146 beef cattle from a local abattoir. interlaboratory agreement for real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qpcr) results on urine samples was almost perfect ...	2014	25292194
neglected leptospirosis in raccoons (procyon lotor) in indiana, usa.	leptospirosis is a globally important zoonotic disease occurring clinically and subclinically in humans and animals.	2014	24784701
diversification of an emerging pathogen in a biodiversity hotspot: leptospira in endemic small mammals of madagascar.	biodiversity hotspots and associated endemism are ideal systems for the study of parasite diversity within host communities. here, we investigated the ecological and evolutionary forces acting on the diversification of an emerging bacterial pathogen, leptospira spp., in communities of endemic malagasy small mammals. we determined the infection rate with pathogenic leptospira in 20 species of sympatric rodents (subfamily nesomyinae) and tenrecids (family tenrecidae) at two eastern humid forest lo ...	2014	24784171
efficacy of a flexible schedule for administration of a leptospira borgpetersenii serovar hardjo bacterin to beef calves.	to determine whether a flexible vaccination regimen provides protection against challenge exposure with a virulent leptospira borgpetersenii serovar hardjo isolate.	2014	24762025
a cluster of three cases of leptospirosis in dairy farm workers in new zealand.	we report a cluster of three cases of leptospirosis on a new zealand dairy farm, with regard to clinical, laboratory, and environmental findings. the cluster is discussed against the annual incidence of leptospirosis in humans and cattle, and the vaccination of cattle as one means of preventing human cases on farms.	2014	24481382
recombinant lipl32 stimulates interferon-gamma production in cattle vaccinated with a monovalent leptospira borgpetersenii serovar hardjo subtype hardjobovis vaccine.	leptospira borgpetersenii serovar hardjo subtype hardjobovis (hardjobovis) is the main causative agent of bovine leptospirosis in australia, new zealand, north america and elsewhere. bovine leptospirosis can result in spontaneous abortion, stillbirth and reduced milk output. the organism is shed in the urine of infected animals and contact with contaminated materials can result in zoonotic infections in humans. protective immunity in cattle against hardjobovis involves stimulation of a th1 cell ...	2014	24467929
seroprevalence and exposure to risk factors for leptospirosis among veterinary students at massey university.	to determine the seroprevalence and quantify putative risk factors for exposure to leptospirosis both within and outside the veterinary curriculum among undergraduate veterinary students at massey university, new zealand.	2014	24350827
high virulence in hamsters of four dominant leptospira serovars isolated from rats in the philippines.	leptospirosis is caused by pathogenic species of leptospira. the aim of this study was to determine and characterize the pathogenicity of four dominant leptospira isolates prevailing among rats in the philippines. the isolates were leptospira interrogans serovar manilae strain k64, l. interrogans serovar losbanos strain k37, l. interrogans serovar ratnapura strain k5 and leptospira borgpetersenii serovar javanica strain k6. pathogenicities were studied using hamsters, which reproduce severe huma ...	2014	24257815
application of an integrated outbreak management plan for the control of leptospirosis in dairy cattle herds.	two outbreaks of leptospira borgpetersenii serovar hardjo infection in dairy cattle herds were managed through the application of enhanced biosecurity measures, whole-herd antibiotic treatment and vaccination. micro-agglutination test antibody titres were determined in paired serum samples at 3 weeks (t1: n = 125, 97% seropositivity, median 800, range 100-12 800) and 24 weeks (t2: n = 110, 88% seropositivity, median 200, range 100-6400) after vaccination and studied in relation to cows' age, her ...	2014	23920354
detection of brucellosis and leptospirosis in feral pigs in new south wales.	to determine the presence and estimate the prevalence of brucella suis, leptospira interrogans serovar pomona (hereafter l. pomona) and leptospira borgpetersenii serovar hardjo (hereafter l. hardjo) in feral pigs culled in new south wales (nsw), australia.	2014	24954403
detection of asymptomatic renal leptospira infection in abattoir slaughtered cattle in southeastern georgia, united states.	leptospirosis is one of the most widespread zoonotic infectious diseases affecting humans and animals. several animal species, including cattle, can act as potential asymptomatic carriers facilitating zoonotic transmission of leptospira. this study was conducted to assess the occurrence of asymptomatic renal leptospira carriers among cattle slaughtered in southeastern georgia, united states.	2014	26770734
actionable diagnosis of neuroleptospirosis by next-generation sequencing.	a 14-year-old boy with severe combined immunodeficiency presented three times to a medical facility over a period of 4 months with fever and headache that progressed to hydrocephalus and status epilepticus necessitating a medically induced coma. diagnostic workup including brain biopsy was unrevealing. unbiased next-generation sequencing of the cerebrospinal fluid identified 475 of 3,063,784 sequence reads (0.016%) corresponding to leptospira infection. clinical assays for leptospirosis were neg ...	2014	24896819
polyphasic analysis of a middle ages coprolite microbiota, belgium.	paleomicrobiological investigations of a 14(th)-century coprolite found inside a barrel in namur, belgium were done using microscopy, a culture-dependent approach and metagenomics. results were confirmed by ad hoc pcr--sequencing. investigations yielded evidence for flora from ancient environment preserved inside the coprolite, indicated by microscopic observation of amoebal cysts, plant fibers, seeds, pollens and mold remains. seventeen different bacterial species were cultured from the coproli ...	2014	24586319
leptospira mayottensis sp. nov., a pathogenic species of the genus leptospira isolated from humans.	a group of strains representing species of the genus leptospira, isolated from patients with leptospirosis in mayotte (indian ocean), were previously found to be considerably divergent from other known species of the genus leptospira. this was inferred from sequence analysis of rrs (16s rrna) and other genetic loci and suggests that they belong to a novel species. two strains from each serogroup currently identified within this novel species were studied. spirochaete, aerobic, motile, helix-shap ...	2014	25249563
using a top predator as a sentinel for environmental contamination with pathogenic bacteria: the iberian wolf and leptospires.	the iberian wolf (canis lupus) is the top predator in the iberian environments in which it lives, feeding on a wide range of species, thus encountering a wide range of disease agents. therefore, the wolf can serve as sentinel of environmental contamination with pathogens. we investigated the exposure of free-living wolves to 14 serovars of leptospira interrogans sensu lato. kidney samples from 49 wolves collected from 2010-2013 in northwestern spain were analysed by culture, direct immunofluores ...	2014	25494467
maintenance of leptospira species in leptospira vanaporn wuthiekanun agar.	the maintenance of leptospira species in liquid or semisolid medium is time-consuming and at risk of contamination due to the needs of routine subculture and dark field microscopy. using leptospira vanaporn wuthiekanun (lvw) agar, we maintained 100 pathogenic leptospira isolates for 12 months without the need for subculture and confirmed the viability of all isolates by the naked eye.	2014	25253789
serological and molecular survey of leptospira spp. among cart horses from an endemic area of human leptospirosis in curitiba, southern brazil.	cart horses are a re-emerging population employed to carry recyclable material in cities.	2014	25351539
epidemiology of leptospira transmitted by rodents in southeast asia.	leptospirosis is the most common bacterial zoonoses and has been identified as an important emerging global public health problem in southeast asia. rodents are important reservoirs for human leptospirosis, but epidemiological data is lacking.	2014	24901706
diagnosis of canine leptospirosis by a highly sensitive fret-pcr targeting the lig genes.	canine leptospirosis is underdiagnosed due to its wide spectrum of clinical presentations and the lack of a rapid and sensitive test for the accurate diagnosis of acute and chronic infections. in this study, we developed a highly sensitive and specific fluorescence resonance energy transfer (fret)-pcr to detect common pathogenic leptospires in dogs, including leptospira interrogans serovars autumnalis, canicola, copenhageni (icterohaemorrhagiae serogroup) and pomona, and leptospira kirschneri se ...	2014	24586833
genotypes of pathogenic leptospira spp isolated from rodents in argentina.	leptospirosis is the most widespread zoonosis in the world and significant efforts have been made to determine and classify pathogenic leptospira strains. this zoonosis is maintained in nature through chronic renal infections of carrier animals, with rodents and other small mammals serving as the most important reservoirs. additionally, domestic animals, such as livestock and dogs, are significant sources of human infection. in this study, a multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis ...	2014	24676656
sero-prevalence and risk factors for leptospirosis in abattoir workers in new zealand.	leptospirosis is an important occupational disease in new zealand. the objectives of this study were to determine risk factors for sero-prevalence of leptospiral antibodies in abattoir workers. sera were collected from 567 abattoir workers and tested by microscopic agglutination for leptospira interrogans sv. pomona and leptospira borgpetersenii sv. hardjobovis. association between prevalence and risk factors were determined by species specific multivariable analysis. eleven percent of workers h ...	2014	24503973
high-resolution typing of leptospira interrogans strains by multispacer sequence typing.	leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis which is responsible for the typical form of weil's disease. the epidemiological surveillance of the leptospira species agent is important for host prevalence control. although the genotyping methods have progressed, the identification of some serovars remains ambiguous. we investigated the multispacer sequence typing (mst) method for genotyping strains belonging to the species leptospira interrogans, which is the main agent of leptospirosis worldwide. a tot ...	2014	24478489
a cross sectional observational study to estimate herd level risk factors for leptospira spp. serovars in small holder dairy cattle farms in southern chile.	the south of chile constitutes the main cattle milk producing area of the country. regarding leptospirosis control in chile, there is neither an official program nor an epidemiological characterization of smallholder dairy farms. this study was carried out to determine leptospira seroprevalence and to evaluate risk factors associated with seropositivity at herd level in smallholder bovine dairy herds in southern chile.a cross-sectional study was conducted, and a convenient sample of 1,537 appare ...	2014	24906684
interpretation of microscopic agglutination test for leptospirosis diagnosis and seroprevalence.	determination of antibody titer by microscopic agglutination test (mat) has been used as a tool for leptospirosis diagnosis. four fold or greater rise in antibody titers between acute and convalescent sera suggests recent leptospira infection. in addition, results obtained by mat have been used to predict infecting serovars. however, cross reactivity among various leptospira serovars have been reported when patient sera were tested with a battery of leptospira serovars. this study demonstrates c ...	2014	25183074
multiplex nucleic acid amplification test for diagnosis of dengue fever, malaria, and leptospirosis.	dengue, leptospirosis, and malaria are among the most common etiologies of systemic undifferentiated febrile illness (ufi) among travelers to the developing world, and these pathogens all have the potential to cause life-threatening illness in returned travelers. the current study describes the development of an internally controlled multiplex nucleic acid amplification test for the detection of dengue virus (denv) and leptospira and plasmodium species, with a specific callout for plasmodium fal ...	2014	24671788
the emergence of leptospira borgpetersenii serovar arborea as the dominant infecting serovar following the summer of natural disasters in queensland, australia 2011.	the following research reports the emergence of leptospira borgpetersenii serovar arborea as the dominant infecting serovar following the summer of disasters and the ensuing clean up in queensland, australia during 2011. for the 12 month period (1 january to 31 december) l. borgpetersenii serovar arborea accounted for over 49% of infections. in response to a flooding event public health officials need to issue community wide announcements warning the population about the dangers of leptospirosis ...	2014	25134896
high-temperature protein g is an essential virulence factor of leptospira interrogans.	leptospira interrogans is a global zoonotic pathogen and is the causative agent of leptospirosis, an endemic disease of humans and animals worldwide. there is limited understanding of leptospiral pathogenesis; therefore, further elucidation of the mechanisms involved would aid in vaccine development and the prevention of infection. htpg (high-temperature protein g) is the bacterial homolog to the highly conserved molecular chaperone hsp90 and is important in the stress responses of many bacteria ...	2014	24366253
shedding and seroprevalence of pathogenic leptospira spp. in sheep and cattle at a new zealand abattoir.	a cross-sectional study was carried out on sheep and cattle slaughtered at a new zealand abattoir from september to november 2010 to investigate the supplier-specific shedding rate, renal carriage rate and seroprevalence of leptospires. in the 2008/2009 season, this abattoir experienced three human leptospirosis cases from 20 staff, of which two were hospitalized. urine, kidney and blood samples were collected from carcasses of 399 sheep (six suppliers, 17 slaughter lines) and 146 cattle (three ...	2015	25043226
leptospirosis infection in a homeless patient in december in tokyo: a case report.	we report a case of severe leptospirosis that occurred during winter in tokyo, the capital of japan. leptospirosis is endemic in tropical regions and extremely rare in the urban areas of japan. only six new cases were reported in tokyo in 2014. most leptospirosis cases reported in urban areas of japan were a result of occupational hazards, and there is no previous report of leptospirosis in a homeless patient in tokyo. we believe this report could provide a widened perspective about the clinical ...	2015	26373626
molecular characterisation and disease severity of leptospirosis in sri lanka.	leptospirosis is a re-emerging zoonotic disease all over the world, important in tropical and subtropical areas. a majority of leptospirosis infected patients present as subclinical or mild disease while 5-10% may develop severe infection requiring hospitalisation and critical care. it is possible that several factors, such as the infecting serovar, level of leptospiraemia, host genetic factors and host immune response, may be important in predisposition towards severe disease. different leptosp ...	2015	26061234
comparative genomic analyses of transport proteins encoded within the genomes of leptospira species.	select species of the bacterial genus leptospira are causative agents of leptospirosis, an emerging global zoonosis affecting nearly one million people worldwide annually. we examined two leptospira pathogens, leptospira interrogans serovar lai str. 56601 and leptospira borgpetersenii serovar hardjo-bovis str. l550, as well as the free-living leptospiral saprophyte, leptospira biflexa serovar patoc str. 'patoc 1 (ames)'. the transport proteins of these leptospires were identified and compared us ...	2015	26247102
distribution of plasmids in distinct leptospira pathogenic species.	leptospirosis, caused by pathogenic leptospira, is a worldwide zoonotic infection. the genus leptospira includes at least 21 species clustered into three groups--pathogens, non-pathogens, and intermediates--based on 16s rrna phylogeny. research on leptospira is difficult due to slow growth and poor transformability of the pathogens. recent identification of extrachromosomal elements besides the two chromosomes in l. interrogans has provided new insight into genome complexity of the genus leptosp ...	2015	26555137
protective immunity and reduced renal colonization induced by vaccines containing recombinant leptospira interrogans outer membrane proteins and flagellin adjuvant.	leptospirosis is a global zoonotic disease caused by different leptospira species, such as leptospira interrogans, that colonize the renal tubules of wild and domestic animals. thus far, attempts to develop effective leptospirosis vaccines, both for humans and animals, have failed to induce immune responses capable of conferring protection and simultaneously preventing renal colonization. in this study, we evaluated the protective immunity induced by subunit vaccines containing seven different r ...	2015	26108285
predominant leptospiral serogroups circulating among humans, livestock and wildlife in katavi-rukwa ecosystem, tanzania.	leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonotic disease and a serious, under-reported public health problem, particularly in rural areas of tanzania. in the katavi-rukwa ecosystem, humans, livestock and wildlife live in close proximity, which exposes them to the risk of a number of zoonotic infectious diseases, including leptospirosis.	2015	25806825
isolation of leptospira interrogans serovar hardjoprajitno from a calf with clinical leptospirosis in chile.	although leptospira isolation has been reported in chilean cattle, only serological evidence of serovar hardjo bovis infection has been routinely reported. the present report provides characterization of the pathological presentation and etiology of a clinical case of leptospirosis in a calf from the los rios region in chile.	2015	25888965
epidemiology of leptospirosis in africa: a systematic review of a neglected zoonosis and a paradigm for 'one health' in africa.	leptospirosis is an important but neglected bacterial zoonosis that has been largely overlooked in africa. in this systematic review, we aimed to summarise and compare current knowledge of: (1) the geographic distribution, prevalence, incidence and diversity of acute human leptospirosis in africa; and (2) the geographic distribution, host range, prevalence and diversity of leptospira spp. infection in animal hosts in africa.	2015	26368568
the emergence of leptospira borgpetersenii serovar arborea in queensland, australia, 2001 to 2013.	leptospirosis is an emerging infectious disease, with increasing frequency and severity of outbreaks, changing epidemiology of populations at risk, and the emergence of new serovars. environmental drivers of disease transmission include flooding, urbanisation, poor sanitation, changes in land use and agricultural practices, and socioeconomic factors. in queensland, human infection with leptosira borgpetersenii serovar arborea was first reported in 2001. this study aims to report the emergence of ...	2015	26072306
experimental hamster infection with a strain of leptospira borgpetersenii ballum isolated from a reservoir mouse in new caledonia.	leptospirosis is a neglected zoonosis caused by pathogenic leptospira. in this study, we characterized the virulence of isolate b3-13s obtained from a wild mouse (mus musculus) captured in new caledonia, subsequently identified as a bacterium belonging to the l. borgpetersenii serogroup ballum. hamsters were infected with an intraperitoneal injection of 2 × 10(8) bacteria, resulting in severe histopathological organ damages consistent with tissue lesions previously observed with other strains. h ...	2015	25758655
comparative evaluation of recombinant ligb protein and heat-killed antigen-based latex agglutination test with microscopic agglutination test for diagnosis of bovine leptospirosis.	this study aimed to develop latex agglutination test (lat) using recombinant leptospiral immunoglobulin-like protein (ligb) (rligb) antigen and compare its diagnostic efficacy with lat using conventional heat-killed leptospiral antigen and microscopic agglutination test (mat) in diagnosing bovine leptospirosis. the pcr-amplified 1053-bp ligb gene sequences from leptospira borgpetersenii hardjo serovar were cloned in pet 32 (a) vector at ecori and noti sites and expressed in bl21 e. coli cells as ...	2015	26065562
a multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis assay provides high discrimination for genotyping leptospira santarosai strains.	considering the prevalence of leptospira santarosai infections in the americas and the scarce information about the species, we aimed to apply a multilocus variable number tandem repeat (vntr) analysis (mlva) for the molecular typing of l. santarosai isolates from various sources. amplification of three vntr loci selected from l. santarosai genome sequences resulted in a wide range of sizes for the amplified products amongst the 21 l. santarosai strains analysed. this suggested a variation in ta ...	2015	25721051
risk of infection and associated influenza-like disease among abattoir workers due to two leptospira species.	the aims of this study were to determine the annual incidence of infection with leptospira interrogans serovar pomona and/or leptospira borgpetersenii serovar hardjo and its association with influenza-like illness (ili) in meat workers in new zealand. sera were collected twice, 50-61 weeks apart, from 592 workers at eight abattoirs slaughtering sheep (n = 4), cattle (n = 2) and deer (n = 2), and tested by the microscopic agglutination test for hardjo and pomona. forty-nine (8·3%) participants ei ...	2015	25266854
multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis of leptospira interrogans and leptospira borgpetersenii isolated from small feral and wild mammals in east asia.	leptospira spp. are the causative agents of a worldwide zoonosis, leptospirosis, maintained by various mammals. each leptospira serovar is frequently associated with a particular maintenance host, and recently, leptospira genotype-host association has also been suggested to limit serovars to restricted areas. we investigated the molecular characteristics of l. interrogans and l. borgpetersenii which were isolated from small feral and wild animals in four east asian states using multiple-locus va ...	2015	26296603
serological patterns, antibody half-life and shedding in urine of leptospira spp. in naturally exposed sheep.	to determine within-farm prevalence, longitudinal pattern of exposure measured by serology, antibody titre longevity and point prevalence of shedding in urine of leptospira borgpetersenii serovar hardjo and l. interrogans serovar pomona in naturally infected sheep on a sample of commercial farms in new zealand.	2015	25966298
molecular epidemiology of pathogenic leptospira spp. in the straw-colored fruit bat (eidolon helvum) migrating to zambia from the democratic republic of congo.	the role played by bats as a potential source of transmission of leptospira spp. to humans is poorly understood, despite various pathogenic leptospira spp. being identified in these mammals. here, we investigated the prevalence and diversity of pathogenic leptospira spp. that infect the straw-colored fruit bat (eidolon helvum). we captured this bat species, which is widely distributed in africa, in zambia during 2008-2013. we detected the flagellin b gene (flab) from pathogenic leptospira spp. i ...	2015	25791930
risk factors for new infection with leptospira in meat workers in new zealand.	to evaluate risk factors for new infection with leptospira interrogans sv pomona and leptospira borgpetersenii sv hardjo in meat workers.	2015	25520373
genetic diversity of leptospira in northwestern colombia: first report of leptospira santarosai as a recognised leptospirosis agent.	the region of antioquia in northeastern colombia has the highest number of reported leptospirosis cases in the country. it also shows high seroprevalence indexes in the general population and socio-environmental conditions favourable for the transmission of the disease between humans and animals. in this study, 25 leptospira isolates from colombia's antioquia department were identified to the species level as l. santarosai (12), l. interrogans (9) and l. meyeri (4) using phylogenetic analysis of ...	2016	27982303
comparative analyses of transport proteins encoded within the genomes of leptospira species.	select species of the bacterial genus leptospira are causative agents of leptospirosis, an emerging global zoonosis affecting nearly one million people worldwide annually. we examined two leptospira pathogens, leptospira interrogans serovar lai str. 56601 and leptospira borgpetersenii serovar hardjo-bovis str. l550, as well as the free-living leptospiral saprophyte, leptospira biflexa serovar patoc str. 'patoc 1 (ames)'. the transport proteins of these leptospires were identified and compared us ...	2016	27296707
etiological agents causing leptospirosis in sri lanka: a review.	to systematically review the etiological agent causing human leptospirosis in sri lanka.	2016	27086159
isolation and molecular characterization of leptospira borgpetersenii serovar hardjo strain hardjobovis in the urine of naturally infected cattle in brazil.	most epidemiologic studies on bovine leptospirosis are based on serological tests that use antibodies against several serotypes, including the serovar hardjo, which is widespread and considered to be the most adapted to bovine hosts. however, using only serological studies is not sufficient to identify and distinguish species of leptospires. the aim of this study was report the first isolation in brazil of two strains serovar hardjo obtained in urine samples from naturally infected cows in a sma ...	2016	26909976
malagasy bats shelter a considerable genetic diversity of pathogenic leptospira suggesting notable host-specificity patterns.	pathogenic leptospira are the causative agents of leptospirosis, a disease of global concern with major impact in tropical regions. despite the importance of this zoonosis for human health, the evolutionary and ecological drivers shaping bacterial communities in host reservoirs remain poorly investigated. here, we describe leptospira communities hosted by malagasy bats, composed of mostly endemic species, in order to characterize host-pathogen associations and investigate their evolutionary hist ...	2016	26902801
multilocus sequence typing (mlst) of leptospiral strains isolated from two geographic locations of tamil nadu, india.	here the rodent carrier status for the transmission of human leptospirosis in tiruchirappalli, district, tamil nadu, india was assessed. the predominantly circulating leptospiral sts were recognized by multilocus sequence typing (mlst). a total of 113 rodents were trapped from different provinces of the tiruchirappalli district. the most prevalent rodent was bandicota bengalensis (37.2%), and of the total, 52.2% (n=59) rodents were found to be positive for leptospiral 16s rrna. these results wer ...	2016	26577860
cytokine and chemokine expression in kidneys during chronic leptospirosis in reservoir and susceptible animal models.	leptospirosis is caused by pathogenic spirochetes of the genus leptospira. humans can be infected after exposure to contaminated urine of reservoir animals, usually rodents, regarded as typical asymptomatic carriers of leptospires. in contrast, accidental hosts may present an acute form of leptospirosis with a range of clinical symptoms including the development of acute kidney injury (aki). chronic kidney disease (ckd) is considered as a possible aki-residual sequela but little is known about t ...	2016	27219334
an effective approach for annotation of protein families with low sequence similarity and conserved motifs: identifying gdsl hydrolases across the plant kingdom.	the massive accumulation of protein sequences arising from the rapid development of high-throughput sequencing, coupled with automatic annotation, results in high levels of incorrect annotations. in this study, we describe an approach to decrease annotation errors of protein families characterized by low overall sequence similarity. the gdsl lipolytic family comprises proteins with multifunctional properties and high potential for pharmaceutical and industrial applications. the number of protein ...	2016	26892257
serological diagnosis of leptospirosis in bovine serum samples using a microsphere immunoassay.	leptospirosis causes significant economic loss within the cattle industry worldwide. current diagnostic methods are generally inadequate for dealing with large numbers of samples, are outdated, and provide little useful diagnostic and epidemiological information. this aim of this study was to apply a microsphere immunoassay (mia), utilising luminex xmap technology, to 200 bovine serum samples to determine this method's usefulness in leptospirosis diagnosis in comparison with the current gold sta ...	2016	26835139
draft genome sequence of leptospira interrogans serovar bataviae strain lepimr 22 isolated from a rodent in johor, malaysia.	leptospira interrogans serovar bataviae was recently identified as one of the persistent leptospira serovars in malaysia. here, we report the draft genome sequence of the l. interrogans serovar bataviae strain lepimr 22 isolated from kidney of a rodent in johor, malaysia.	2016	27609924
human leptospirosis on reunion island, indian ocean: are rodents the (only) ones to blame?	although leptospirosis is a zoonosis of major concern on tropical islands, the molecular epidemiology of the disease aiming at linking human cases to specific animal reservoirs has been rarely explored within these peculiar ecosystems.	2016	27294677
draft genome of the leptospira interrogans strains, acegua, rca, prea, and capivara, obtained from wildlife maintenance hosts and infected domestic animals.	in the present paper, we announce new draft genomes of four leptospira interrogans strains named acegua, rca, prea, and capivara. these strains were isolated in the state of rio grande do sul, brazil, from cattle, dog, brazilian guinea pig, and capybara, respectively.	2016	27074260
prevalence and genotype allocation of pathogenic leptospira species in small mammals from various habitat types in germany.	small mammals serve as most important reservoirs for leptospira spp., the causative agents of leptospirosis, which is one of the most neglected and widespread zoonotic diseases worldwide. the knowledge about leptospira spp. occurring in small mammals from germany is scarce. thus, this study's objectives were to investigate the occurrence of leptospira spp. and the inherent sequence types in small mammals from three different study sites: a forest in southern germany (site b1); a national park in ...	2016	27015596
determination of leptospira borgpetersenii serovar javanica and leptospira interrogans serovar bataviae as the persistent leptospira serovars circulating in the urban rat populations in peninsular malaysia.	leptospirosis is an emerging infectious disease of global significance, and is endemic in tropical countries, including malaysia. over the last decade, a dramatic increase of human cases was reported; however, information on the primary vector, the rat, and the leptospira serovars circulating among the rat population is limited. therefore, the present study was undertaken to isolate leptospira and characterise the serovars circulating in the urban rat populations from selected main cities in pen ...	2016	26927873
human leptospirosis infection in fiji: an eco-epidemiological approach to identifying risk factors and environmental drivers for transmission.	leptospirosis is an important zoonotic disease in the pacific islands. in fiji, two successive cyclones and severe flooding in 2012 resulted in outbreaks with 576 reported cases and 7% case-fatality. we conducted a cross-sectional seroprevalence study and used an eco-epidemiological approach to characterize risk factors and drivers for human leptospirosis infection in fiji, and aimed to provide an evidence base for improving the effectiveness of public health mitigation and intervention strategi ...	2016	26820752
whole genome shotgun sequencing shows selection on leptospira regulatory proteins during in vitro culture attenuation.	leptospirosis is the most common zoonotic disease worldwide with an estimated 500,000 severe cases reported annually, and case fatality rates of 12-25%, due primarily to acute kidney and lung injuries. despite its prevalence, the molecular mechanisms underlying leptospirosis pathogenesis remain poorly understood. to identify virulence-related genes in leptospira interrogans, we delineated cumulative genome changes that occurred during serial in vitro passage of a highly virulent strain of l. int ...	2016	26711524
first isolates of leptospira spp., from rodents captured in angola.	rodents play an important role in the transmission of pathogenic leptospira spp. however, in angola, neither the natural reservoirs of these spirochetes nor leptospirosis diagnosis has been considered. regarding this gap, we captured rodents in luanda and huambo provinces to identify circulating leptospira spp. rodent kidney tissue was cultured and dna amplified and sequenced. culture isolates were evaluated for pathogenic status and typing with rabbit antisera; polymerase chain reaction (pcr) a ...	2016	26928840
leptospira seroprevalence and risk factors in health centre patients in hoima district, western uganda.	the burden of human leptospirosis in uganda is unknown. we estimated the seroprevalence of leptospira antibodies, probable acute/recent leptospirosis, and risk factors for seropositivity in humans in rural western uganda.	2016	27487398
identification of tenrec ecaudatus, a wild mammal introduced to mayotte island, as a reservoir of the newly identified human pathogenic leptospira mayottensis.	leptospirosis is a bacterial zoonosis of major concern on tropical islands. human populations on western indian ocean islands are strongly affected by the disease although each archipelago shows contrasting epidemiology. for instance, mayotte, part of the comoros archipelago, differs from the other neighbouring islands by a high diversity of leptospira species infecting humans that includes leptospira mayottensis, a species thought to be unique to this island. using bacterial culture, molecular ...	2016	27574792
interaction of bovine peripheral blood polymorphonuclear cells and leptospira species; innate responses in the natural bovine reservoir host.	cattle are the reservoir hosts of leptospira borgpetersenii serovar hardjo, and can also be reservoir hosts of other leptospira species such as l. kirschneri, and leptospira interrogans. as a reservoir host, cattle shed leptospira, infecting other animals, including humans. previous studies with human and murine neutrophils have shown activation of neutrophil extracellular trap or net formation, and upregulation of inflammatory mediators by neutrophils in the presence of leptospira. humans, comp ...	2016	27486445
multiple posttranslational modifications of leptospira biflexa proteins as revealed by proteomic analysis.	the saprophyte leptospira biflexa is an excellent model for studying the physiology of the medically important leptospira genus, the pathogenic members of which are more recalcitrant to genetic manipulation and have significantly slower in vitro growth. however, relatively little is known regarding the proteome of l. biflexa, limiting its utility as a model for some studies. therefore, we have generated a proteomic map of both soluble and membrane-associated proteins of l. biflexa during exponen ...	2016	26655756
continuous excretion of leptospira borgpetersenii ballum in mice assessed by viability quantitative polymerase chain reaction.	rodents are the main reservoir animals of leptospirosis. in this study, we characterized and quantified the urinary excretion dynamics of leptospira by mus musculus infected with 2 × 10(8) virulent leptospira borgpetersenii serogroup ballum. each micturition was collected separately in metabolic cages, at 12 time points from 7 to 117 days post-infection (dpi). we detected leptospira in all urine samples collected (up to 8 per time point per mouse) proving that leptospira excretion is continuous ...	2017	28722586
leptospira diversity in animals and humans in tahiti, french polynesia.	leptospirosis is a highly endemic bacterial zoonosis in french polynesia (fp). nevertheless, data on the epidemiology of leptospirosis in fp are scarce. we conducted molecular studies on leptospira isolated from humans and the potential main animal reservoirs in order to identify the most likely sources for human infection.	2017	28658269
molecular typing of leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo isolates from leptospirosis outbreaks in brazilian livestock.	leptospirosis is caused by pathogenic spirochetes of the genus leptospira spp. this zoonotic disease is distributed globally and affects domestic animals, including cattle. leptospira interrogans serogroup sejroe serovar hardjo and leptospira borgpetersenii serogroup sejroe serovar hardjo remain important species associated with this reproductive disease in livestock production. previous studies on brazilian livestock have reported that l. interrogans serovar hardjo is the most prevalent leptosp ...	2017	28619055