Abstract

Objective: Leptospirosis is a contemporary eco-zoonotic disease; humans get accidental infections while exposed to the contaminated environment of by animals where symptoms of this disease observed from multiorgan dysfunction to failure. Timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment may reduce the morbidity and mortality rates. Along with the regular and routine, dark field microscopy, culture in EMJH semisolid medium, serology by ELISA and MAT, here we are presenting the use of RT PCR for both diagnostics and genetic characterization of leptospirosis in clinical samples. Experimental approach: Two hundred and thirty blood samples were collected from patients suspected with leptospirosis who all are having PUO and acute hepatic disorders from various parts of Tamilnadu in 2016 including culture, serology and PCR. Findings: By using MAT, we determined 146 (63.5%) of 230 cases included in this study had leptospiral antibody titers ≥ 1:80 and the maximum of 1:5120 was found among 7 cases who were further confirmed with hepato-renal disturbances. RT PCR assay determined that 112 (48.7%) of 230 samples confirmed leptospiral infection. Discussion: Further, all PCR confirmed amplified products were subjected to sequencing analysis depicted the same serovars as determined by MAT. All these cases were reported that they are contact with animals, high risk animal activities including piggeries and exposed to contaminated environment. These confirm the diagnosis in the early stage of infection prior to antibody titers at detectable levels, but molecular testing is not much available in restricted resource areas.

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