@article{fdi:010052959,
  title = {{F}irst isolation and direct evidence for the existence of large small-mammal reservoirs of {L}eptospira sp in {M}adagascar},
  author = {{R}ahelinirina, {S}. and {L}{\'e}on, {A}. and {H}arstskeerl, {R}. {A}. and {S}ertour, {N}. and {A}hmed, {A}. and {R}aharimanana, {C}. and {F}erquel, {E}. and {G}arnier, {M}. and {C}hartier, {L}. and {D}uplantier, {J}ean-{M}arc and {R}ahalison, {L}. and {C}ornet, {M}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{B}ackground: {L}eptospirosis has long been a major public health concern in the southwestern {I}ndian {O}cean. {H}owever, in {M}adagascar, only a few, old studies have provided indirect serological evidence of the disease in humans or animals. {M}ethodology/{P}rincipal {F}indings: {W}e conducted a large animal study focusing on small-mammal populations. {F}ive field trapping surveys were carried out at five sites, from {A}pril 2008 to {A}ugust 2009. {C}aptures consisted of {R}attus norvegicus (35.8%), {R}. rattus (35.1%), {M}us musculus (20.5%) and {S}uncus murinus (8.6%). {W}e used microbiological culture, serodiagnosis tests ({MAT}) and real-time {PCR} to assess {L}eptospira infection. {L}eptospira carriage was detected by {PCR} in 91 (33.9%) of the 268 small mammals, by {MAT} in 17 of the 151 (11.3%) animals for which serum samples were available and by culture in 9 of the 268 animals (3.3%). {R}ates of infection based on positive {PCR} results were significantly higher in {M}oramanga (54%), {T}oliara (48%) and {M}ahajanga (47.4%) than in {A}ntsiranana (8.5%) and {T}oamasina (14%) (p = 0.001). {T}he prevalence of {L}eptospira carriage was significantly higher in {R}. norvegicus (48.9%), {S}. murinus (43.5%) and {R}. rattus (30.8%) than in {M}. musculus (9.1%) (p < 0.001). {T}he {MAT} detected antibodies against the serogroups {C}anicola and {I}cterohaemorrhagiae. {I}solates were characterized by serology, sec{Y} sequence-based phylogeny, partial sequencing of rrs, multi-locus {VNTR} analysis and pulsed field gel electrophoresis. {T}he 10 isolates obtained from nine rats were all identified as species {L}. interrogans serogroup {C}anicola serovar {K}uwait and all had identical partial rrs and sec{Y} sequences. {C}onclusions/{S}ignificance: {W}e present here the first direct evidence of widespread leptospiral carriage in small mammals in {M}adagascar. {O}ur results strongly suggest a high level of environmental contamination, consistent with probable transmission of the infection to humans. {T}his first isolation of pathogenic {L}eptospira strains in this country may significantly improve the detection of specific antibodies in human cases.},
  keywords = {},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{P}los {O}ne},
  volume = {5},
  numero = {11},
  pages = {e14111},
  ISSN = {1932-6203},
  year = {2010},
  DOI = {10.1371/journal.pone.0014111},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010052959},
}