| isolation and characterization of leptospira spp. from raccoons in japan. | we investigated whether raccoons (procyon lotor) carried leptospires in their kidneys in japan. leptospira was isolated from 2 of 71 raccoons captured in kanagawa prefecture and 1 of 53 raccoons at a zoological park in nagasaki prefecture. anti-leptospira antibodies were detected in 16 of 124 raccoons (12.9%) in kanagawa and 33 of 53 raccoons (62.3%) in nagasaki, respectively. the partial nucleotide sequences of their flab genes suggested that the isolates belonged to l. interrogans. the serovar ... | 2009 | 19420844 |