Widespread detection of antibodies to Leptospira in feral swine in the United States

Abstract

As feral swine continue to expand their geographical range and distribution across the United States, their involvement in crop damage, livestock predation, and pathogen transmission is likely to increase. Despite the relatively recent discovery of feral swine involvement in the aetiology of a variety of pathogens, their propensity to transmit and carry a wide variety of pathogens is disconcerting. We examined sera from 2055 feral swine for antibody presence to six serovars of Leptospira that can also infect humans, livestock or domestic animals. About 13% of all samples tested positive for at least one serovar, suggesting that Leptospira infection is common in feral swine. Further studies to identify the proportion of actively infected animals are needed to more fully understand the risk they pose.

Keywords: Disease; Leptospira; Sus scrofa; feral swine; leptospirosis.

Fig. 1.

Proportion of feral swine samples identified by microagglutination as specific serovars of Leptospira (serovars: Hardjo, Icterhaemorrhagiae, Canicola, Grippotyphosa, Pomona, Bratislava) by state in the United States from February 2007 to June 2011.