Equine Leptospirosis in Egypt: Seroprevalence and Risk Factors

Most leptospiral infections in horses are asymptomatic; however, acute dis-ease manifestations as well as reproductive failure and recurrent uveitis have been re -ported. Horses are considered accidental hosts. The data about equine leptospirosis in Egypt are scarce. Hence, the present study aimed to investigate presence of antibodies against Leptospira sp. in horse in four Egyptian governorates and determine the as-sociated risk factors for the infection. To determine the seroprevalence in 305 serum samples, the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) was carried using eight Leptospira serovars antigens. The results revealed 104 animals were positive for at least one of the serovars (34.1%; 95%CI: 29.01-39.59). The most common reaction was reported to Icterohaemorrhagiae serovar (15.14%), followed by Canicola (14.75%), Bratislava (11.47%), Copenhageni (8.19%), Pomona (7.86%), and Hardjo (6.88%). The most preva-lent was observed among females, older horses raising in pasture or in contact with ruminants or dogs and lack of rodents control. The significant seroprevalence suggests that Egyptian horses living in the studied area are at high risk of infection or exposure by Leptospira sp. Thus, the establishment of emergency surveillance and control program is very crucial for this zoonotic pathogen.