Abstract

HERRER, Arístides; LICERAS, Julia  and  MENESES, Oswaldo. Leptospirosis en el Perú: I. Identificación de las cepas de leptospiras presentes en el perro y el gato e incidencia de la infección. Rev. perú. med. exp. salud publica [online]. 1958, vol.12, n.1-2, pp.65-86. ISSN 1726-4634.

During 1955-57, investigations were conducted on leptospirosis in dogs and cats of Lima and the adjacent costal region, for the purpose of determining: a) the incidence of infection, and b) the type of strains present in these animals. All cats and a majority of the dogs were collected from Lima, the remaining dogs being obtained from outlying areas. The results were as follows: 1. 444 sera of dogs were examined by the agglutination-lysis reaction. Leptospiral antibodies were observed in 206 specimens (46.6%), and indicated infections with L. canícola Ruebush (84.5%), L. icterohaemorrhagiae AB Wijnberg (11.6%), L. bataviae Van Tienen (2.0%), L. autumnalis AB Akiyama A (1.0%), L. ballum S102 (0. 5 5% ), and L. hyos (0. 5%) . 2. Of the serologically positive dogs, 66 (32.0%) showed cross reactions to two other strains, and 11 specimens (5.3%) gave cross reactions with three strains, with L. ballum being the most frequent cross reacting type (78.0%). 3. The titers of antibodies in the 206 dogs sera ranged from 1 : 100 to 1 : 300 in 154 specimens (74.8%), and from 1:1,000 to 1:3,000 in 49 specimens (23.8 % ) . In only two instances were titers of 1:10,000 observed, and in one sample 1:30,000. 4. In 435 dogs were made cultures of kidney and in 113 from the blood and kidney, obtaining 26 leptospiral strains all from the kidney. Twenty three of these strains were identified, 21 as L. canicola and the other two as L. bataviae and L. hyos, respectively. 5. These studies confirmed previous observations in which the incidence of infection in dogs was highest during the summer months, and appeared in males more frequently (50%) than females (35.9%). 6. Only 6 (1.4%) positive dark field observations were made of 432 dogs examined. 7. Thirty four cats were examined and only one positive leptospirosis infection was observed (kidney isolate of L. canicola, and a serum antibody agglutinating titer of 1: 1,000) . 8. The results of these studies suggest the use of L. icterohaemhorragihae, L. canicola, L. bataviae, L. pomona, and L. hyos as the predominant types in the serological investigation of suspected human cases of leptospirosis in the Lima area.

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