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. 2017 Mar 24;84(1):e1-e9.
doi: 10.4102/ojvr.v84i1.1210.

Prevalence and renal pathology of pathogenic Leptospira spp. in wildlife in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria

Olusola L Ajayi  1 , Richard E Antia, Olufemi E Ojo, Olajoju J Awoyomi, Latifa A Oyinlola, Oluwabusola G Ojebiyi
Affiliations

Prevalence and renal pathology of pathogenic Leptospira spp. in wildlife in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria

Olusola L Ajayi et al. Onderstepoort J Vet Res. .

Abstract

There is paucity of information on the prevalence of leptospirosis in wildlife in Nigeria. This study investigated the prevalence and renal pathology of leptospirosis in wild animals in Southwest Nigeria. One hundred and five kidney samples were examined from 10 different wildlife species (antelope) greater cane rat (GCR), hare, African giant rat (AGR), tree hyrax, civet cat, monitor lizard, python, bushbuck and partridge) using a combination of Ellinghausen McCullough Johnson Harris (EMJH) medium, microscopic agglutination test (MAT), Warthin- Starry silver stain (WSss) and immunohistochemistry. Chi-square test was used with confidence level set at 0.05 to ascertain associations between positive cases and sex and species. Eightytwo (78.1%) samples were culturally positive, while 67.7% (63/93), 57.0% (16/28) and 66.7% (8/12) were WSss, MAT and immunohistochemically positive, respectively. Interstitial nephritis (41.0%) and tubular nephrosis (81.0%) were the most prominent histopathological changes. Pathogenic Leptospira organisms were highest in GCR (32.1%) and antelope (14.3%). Serovars hardjo (11.54%), bratislava (3.9%), canicola (3.9%), icterohaemorrhagiae (15.4%), pomona (7.14%) gripptotyphosa (19.2%) and undetermined isolates were also detected in other animals. The result showed high prevalence of Leptospira infection in the wild and the possibility of domestic animals and humans contracting the disease. This study is the first documentation of evidence of pathogenic Leptospira species in wildlife in Nigeria.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationships that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
A map of Nigeria showing Abeokuta, Ogun State and the local villages and towns where games are sourced with its neighbouring states and the Republic of Benin.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Kidney section showing tubular degeneration and necrosis, tubular atrophy with moderate diffuse interstitial lymphoplasmacytic cellular infiltration in antelope positive with Leptospira infection.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Photomicrograph of severely colonised proximal convoluted tubules and absence of interstitial mononuclear cells infiltration in the interstitium.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Kidney section of antelope showing immunoreactivity of Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo antigen in the tubular lumen (arrows).
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Kidney section of Hare showing strong immunoreactivity to Leptospira interrogans serovar bratislava antigen in the lumen of distal convoluted tubule (arrow).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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