Seroepidemiology of leptospirosis in dairy cattle in Ipameri, state of Goias, Brazil

Leptospirosis is a disease with worldwide distribution and with risk to human health. In addition, it affects farm animals, and consequently, causes economic losses to farmers. Therefore, understanding the epidemiological profile of the disease in each geographical region is essential. This study was conducted in the rural properties of the municipality of Ipameri, state of Goias, Brazil, where leptospirosis has not been reported in dairy farming. The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of leptospirosis in dairy cattle, identify the serovars present, and correlate these results with factors that could favor the appearance of the disease. For this purpose, 285 blood samples were collected from dairy cows and microscopic agglutination tests were conducted to identify the 15 serovars of Leptospira interrogans. A structured questionnaire was applied during the visits to the properties to assess the factors associated with leptospirosis. The prevalence was found to be 18.9%, and the serovars present in the region included Hardjo, Wolffi, Canicola, Hebdomadis, Australis, and Icterohaemorrhagiae. The variables associated with leptospirosis were the presence of reproductive changes in the herd, presence of rodents, increased daily production of milk, hired labor, and lower level of education of the producers.