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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, May 2008, p. 1728-1733, Vol. 46, No. 5
0095-1137/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.02022-07
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Detection of Pathogenic Leptospira Bacteria in Pinniped Populations via PCR and Identification of a Source of Transmission for Zoonotic Leptospirosis in the Marine Environment{triangledown}

Caroline E. Cameron,1* Richard L. Zuerner,2 Stephen Raverty,3 Kathleen M. Colegrove,4,5 Stephanie A. Norman,6 Dyanna M. Lambourn,7 Steven J. Jeffries,7 and Frances M. Gulland4

Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada,1 Bacterial Diseases of Livestock, National Animal Disease Center, Ames, Iowa,2 Animal Health Centre, British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada,3 The Marine Mammal Center, Sausalito, California,4 Zoological Pathology Program, University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine, Urbana, Illinois,5 University of Washington, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Seattle, Washington,6 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Marine Mammal Investigations, Tacoma, Washington7

Received 16 October 2007/ Returned for modification 23 December 2007/ Accepted 16 March 2008

Leptospirosis, caused by the spirochete Leptospira, is a geographically widespread disease that affects a broad range of mammals, including marine mammals. Among pinniped populations, periodic epizootics of leptospirosis are responsible for significant die-offs. Along the west coast of North America, the most recent leptospirosis epizootic occurred in 2004, during which samples were collected from cases ranging from California to British Columbia. The primary objective of this study was to use this well-defined sample set to determine the feasibility of using PCR techniques to diagnose Leptospira infection among pinniped populations in comparison with diagnostic methodologies commonly used for marine mammals. Successful amplification was achieved from a variety of samples, including freshly collected urine, urine stored at –80°C for less than 6 months, and kidney (freshly collected, frozen, and decomposed), as well as feces- and urine-contaminated sand collected in the vicinity of a live-stranded animal. Pathological examination of tissue collected from Leptospira-infected animals revealed the presence of leptospiral antigen in the kidneys. The use of species-specific primer pairs revealed a pattern of host specificity for Leptospira interrogans in sea lions and Leptospira kirschneri in elephant seals. These studies indicate PCR is a sensitive and specific diagnostic tool for the detection of Leptospira infection in pinnipeds and reveal a potential source for epizootic, enzootic, and zoonotic spread of leptospirosis in a marine environment.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: PO Box 3055 STN CSC, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8W 3P6. Phone: (250) 853-3189. Fax: (250) 721-8855. E-mail: caroc{at}uvic.ca

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 26 March 2008.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, May 2008, p. 1728-1733, Vol. 46, No. 5
0095-1137/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.02022-07
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Zuerner, R. L., Alt, D. P. (2009). Variable Nucleotide Tandem-Repeat Analysis Revealing a Unique Group of Leptospira interrogans Serovar Pomona Isolates Associated with California Sea Lions. J. Clin. Microbiol. 47: 1202-1205 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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