Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T14:17:41.192Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Prevalence of Leptospira spp. in wild brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) on UK farms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

J. P. Webster ,
W. A. Ellis  and
D. W. Macdonald
J. P. Webster
Affiliation:
Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS
W. A. Ellis
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, Veterinary Sciences Division, Stoney Road, Stormont, Belfast BT4 3SD
D. W. Macdonald
Affiliation:
Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Wild brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) are frequently implicated in the carriage and spread of Leptospira spp. Wild brown rats (n = 259) were trapped from 11 UK farms and tested for Leptospira spp. using a number of diagnostic tests. The prevalence of leptospiral infection was low, but there was variation in the results obtained with the different diagnostic tests. Estimates of prevalence ranged between 0% by silver-staining of tissues, 1% by the microscopic agglutination test, 4% by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, 4% by culture, and 8% by fluorescent antibody technique. In total, 37 (14%) rats were positive by at least one of the tests, which contrasts with the frequently reported prevalences of 50–70% for wild rats in the UK. Serovar bratislava was as prevalent as icterohaemorrhagiae, although it was present only on farms with larger rat populations.

Type
Special Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 114 , Issue 1 , February 1995 , pp. 195 - 201
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

References

REFERENCES

1.Golding, C. Rats, the new plague. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1990.Google Scholar
2.Inada, R, Ido, Y, Yoki, R, Kaneko, R, Ito, H. The etiology, mode of infection, and specific therapy of Weil's disease (Spirochaetosis icterohaemorrhagiae). J Exp Med 1916; 23: 377.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3.Noguchi, H. Spirochaeta icterohaemorrhagiae in American wild rats and its relation to the Japanese and European strain. J Exp Med 1917; 25: 755.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4.Meehan, AP. Rats and mice: their biology and control. The Rentokil Library, Rentokil Ltd. Tonbridge, Kent; Brown Knight and Truscott Ltd, 1984.Google Scholar
5.Waitkins, SA. Rats as a source of leptospirosis – Weil's disease. Sorex Technical Publication No. 4. Cheshire: Sorex Ltd, 1991.Google Scholar
6.Broom, JC, Coghlan, JD. Leptospira ballum in small rodents in Scotland. Lancet 1958; 15: 1041–2.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7.Salt, GFH, Little, TWA. Leptospires isolated from wild mammals caught in the south west of England. Res Vet Sci 1977; 22: 126–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.Wolff, JW. The laboratory diagnosis of leptospirosis. Springfield, Illinois: C.C.Thomas, 1954: 1047–52.Google Scholar
9.Waitkins, SA: Leptospires and leptospirosis. In: Collins, CH, Grange, JM, eds. Isolation and identification of micro-organisms of medical and veterinary importance. Academic Press, 1985:251–73.Google Scholar
10.Thiermann, AB, Garrett, LA. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of antibodies to Leptospira interrogans serovars hardjo and pomona in cattle. Am J Vet Res 1983; 44: 884–7.Google ScholarPubMed
11.Joens, LA, Nord, MA, Kinyon, JM, Egan, IT. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for detection of antibody to Treponema hyodysenteria antigens. J Clin Microbiol 1982; 15: 249–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12.Auran, NE, Johnson, RC, Ritzi, P. Isolation of the outer sheath of Leptospira and its immunogenic properties in hamsters. Infect Immun 1972; 5: 968–75.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13.Thompson, SW, Hunt, RD. In: Thomas, CC, ed. Selected histochemical and histopathological methods. Springfield, Illinois: 1986: 1047–52.Google Scholar
14.Elliot, KG. A simple step to enhance the demonstration of Leptospira in Young's Warthin-Starrey technique. Stain Technol 1988; 63: 122–4.Google Scholar
15.Ellis, WA, O'Brien, JJ, Neill, SD, Ferguson, HW, Hanna, J. Bovine leptospirosis: microbiological and serological findings in aborted fetuses. Vet Rec 1982; 110: 147–50.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16.Minette, HP. Leptospirosis in rodents and mongooses of the island of Hawaii. Am J Trop Med Hyg 1964; 13: 826–32.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17.Roth, EE. Leptospirosis. Infectious diseases of wild mammals. Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University Press, 1970.Google Scholar
18.Hathaway, SC. Leptospirosis in free-living animals in New Zealand, with particular reference to the possum (Tichosurus vulpecula) (dissertation). Massey University, Palmerston North, 1978.Google Scholar
19.Wolff, JW, Bohlander, HJ. Leptospiral infections of hedgehogs in the Netherlands. Trop Geogr Med 1965; 17: 9–16.Google ScholarPubMed
20.Ellis, WA, McFarland, PJ, Bryson, DG, Cassello, JA. Prevalence of Leptospira infection in aborted pigs in Northern Ireland. Vet Rec 1986; 118: 63–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21.Ellis, WA, O'Brien, JJ, Cassello, JA, Montgomery, J. Leptospiral infection in horses in Northern Ireland: serological and microbiological findings. Equine Vet J 1983; 15: 317–20.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22.Hathaway, SC, Blackmore, DK. Ecological aspects of the epidemiology of infection with leptospires of the Ballum serogroup in the black rat (Rattus rattus) and the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) in New Zealand. J Hyg 1981; 87: 427–36.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23.Balfour, A. Observations of wild rats in England, with an account of their ecto- and endoparasites. J Hyg 1922: 29: 282–98.Google Scholar
24.Broom, JC, Gibson, EA. Infection rates of Rattus norvegicus with Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae in Great Britain. J Hyg 1953; 51: 416–26.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
25.Blackelock, JH, Allen, RE. A survey of rats trapped in the Wellington area for ectoparasites and organisms of the Salmonella, Pasteurella and Leptospira group. NZ Vet J 1956; 4: 154–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
26.Brockie, RE. Leptospiral infections of rodents in the North Island. NZ Vet J 1977; 25: 28–30.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed