Epidemiology and Infection

Table of Contents - 2003 - Volume 130, Issue 01  


Molecular characterization of Leptospira spp. strains isolated from small rodents in Croatia

N. TURK a1c1, Z. MILAS a1, J. MARGALETIC a2, V. STARESINA a1, A. SLAVICA a3, N. RIQUELME-SERTOUR a4, E. BELLENGER a4, G. BARANTON a4 and D. POSTIC a4
a1 Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
a2 Department of Forest Protection and Game, Faculty of Forestry University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
a3 Chair of Game Biology & Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
a4 Unité de Bactériologie Moléculaire et Médicale, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France

Abstract

We report the isolation and characterization of 16 Leptospira spp. strains isolated from small rodents captured in 11 different regions of inland Croatia. Large NotI and SgrAI restriction fragment allowed us to assign 10 isolates to the serovar istrica, 5 isolates to the serovar tsaratsovo and 1 isolate to the serovar lora. The phylogenetic analysis conducted from the sequences of the first 330 bp from the 16S rDNA gene revealed that the strains belonged to three different species, L. borgpetersenii, L. kirschneri and L. interrogans. Carrier rates in eight rodent species varied from 0 to 71·4%. Mus musculus showed the highest infection level and confirmed its role as a major reservoir of the serogroup Sejroë. For the first time we reported the occurrence of serovars tsaratsovo and lora in Croatia.

(Accepted October 2 2002)


Correspondence:
c1 Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb, Croatia, Heinzelova 55, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.

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