Leptospira borgpetersenii serovar Hardjo and Leptospira santarosai serogroup Pyrogenes isolated from bovine dairy herds in Puerto Rico

Authors: HAMOND, CAMILA - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); DIRSMITH, KATHERINE - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); LECOUNT, KAREN - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); SOLTERO, FRED - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); RIVERA-GARCIA, SARAI - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); CAMP, PATRICK - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); ANDERSON, TAMMY - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); HICKS, JESSICA - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); GALLOWAY, RENEE - Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) - United States; SUTHERLAND, GRAHAM - Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) - United States; SCHAFER, ILANA - Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) - United States; GORIS, MARGA - University Medical Center Amsterdam; VAN DER LINDEN, HANS - University Medical Center Amsterdam; STUBER, TOD - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); Bayles, Darrell; SCHLATER, LINDA - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); Nally, Jarlath

Submitted to: Frontiers in Veterinary Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/31/2022
Publication Date: 11/17/2022
Citation: Hamond, C., Dirsmith, K.L., LeCount, K., Soltero, F.V., Rivera-Garcia, S., Camp, P., Anderson, T., Hicks, J.A., Galloway, R., Sutherland, G., Schafer, I.J., Goris, M.G., Van Der Linden, H., Stuber, T., Bayles, D.O., Schlater, L., Nally, J.E. 2022. Leptospira borgpetersenii serovar Hardjo and Leptospira santarosai serogroup Pyrogenes isolated from bovine dairy herds in Puerto Rico. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2022.1025282.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2022.1025282

Interpretive Summary: Leptospirosis is a global zoonotic disease that causes significant morbidity and mortality in human and animal populations. Leptospira borgpetersenii is a leading cause of bovine disease and cattle throughout the world are recognized as carriers of L. borgpetersenii serogroup Sejroe serovar Hardjo. This serovar is transmitted to other cattle via urine, semen and uterine discharges resulting in abortion and poor reproductive performance. In order to prevent disease, cattle are immunized with vaccines that contain species and serovars known to cause disease, including L. borgpetersenii serovar Hardjo as well as several others. In order to ensure vaccines contain the correct species and serovars, as required to limit animal disease as well as zoonotic transmission, surveillance is essential to identify what species and serovars are in circulation in animal populations. In this study, we identified L. borgpetersenii serogroup Sejroe serovar Hardjo in dairy cows in Peurto Rico, as well as a new species and serogroup, L. santarosai serogroup Pyrogens. No U.S. leptospirosis animal vaccines contain L. santarosai serogroup Pyrogenes. These isolates can also be used for bacterin vaccines and diagnosis of leptospirosis in animal and human patients in Puerto Rico.

Technical Abstract: Leptospirosis is one of the most common zoonotic diseases in the world and endemic in the Caribbean Islands. Bovine leptospirosis is an important reproductive disease. Globally, cattle are recognized as a reservoir host for L. borgpetersenii serovar Hardjo, which is transmitted via urine, semen, and uterine discharges, which can result in abortion and poor reproductive performance. The dairy industry in Puerto Rico comprises up to 25% of agriculture-related income and is historically the most financially important agricultural commodity on the island. In this study, we report the isolation of two different pathogenic Leptospira species, from two different serogroups, from urine samples collected from dairy cows in Puerto Rico: L. borgpetersenii serogroup Sejroe serovar Hardjo and L. santarosai serogroup Pyrogenes. Recovered isolates were classified using whole-genome sequencing, serotyping with reference antisera and monoclonal antibodies, and immunoblotting. These results demonstrate that dairy herds in Puerto Rico can be concurrently infected with more than one species and serovar of Leptospira, and that bacterin vaccines and serologic diagnostics should account for this when applying intervention and diagnostic strategies.