Leptospira in river and soil in a highly endemic area of Ecuador.

CONCLUSIONS: Our data are limited to two sites in a highly endemic area, but the scarcity of Leptospira DNA in the river is not consistent with the widespread contention of the importance of river water for leptospirosis transmission. While Leptospira may be shed directly into the river, onto the shores, or washed into the river from more remote sites, massive dilution and limited persistence in rivers may reduce the environmental load and therefore, the epidemiological significance of such sources. It is also possible that transmission may occur more frequently on shores where people are liable to be barefoot. Molecular studies that further explore the role of rivers and water bodies in the epidemiology of leptospirosis are needed. PMID: 33413126 [PubMed - in process]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33413126?dopt=Abstract

Source: Rural Remote Health - January 7, 2021 Category: Rural Health Authors: Miller E, Barragan V, Chiriboga J, Weddell C, Luna L, Jiménez DJ, Aleman J, Mihaljevic JR, Olivas S, Marks J, Izurieta R, Nieto N, Keim P, Trueba G, Caporaso JG, Pearson T Tags: BMC Microbiol Source Type: research