Prevalence ofspp. in Lithuanian Wild Boars ().

Abstract

is a bacteria responsible for a widespread zoonosis that affects both humans and animals. Leptospirosis is a challenging pathology to diagnose and treat since its signs are unspecific and symptoms vary greatly. The disease seems to be highly prevalent in environments where reservoir animals such as rats and small mammals are common. Even though leptospirosis in humans in Lithuania is rare, it remains a disease of significance in Europe. Information on reservoir animals and prevalence ofin wild animals in Lithuania is lacking. The aim of this country-wide study was to evaluate the seroprevalence ofin wild boars in Lithuania. Hunted animals were collected from ten counties that represented the boar population of the country. The sera of 451 collected boars were evaluated for eightserovars using the microscopic agglutination test. Seropositivity was observed in 102 (22.6%) boars. Overall, 194 positive reactions occurred. Boars older than 2 years were affected by more serovars and were more seropositive than younger boars (< 0.05). The highest number of positive reactions was observed in Panev&#x117;&#x17e;ys (87.9%) and Vilnius (69.1%) counties. The results of this study might indicate that the wild boar is a reservoir animal ofand plays a role in its transmission in Lithuania.