WHAT’S LEPTOSPIROSIS?
Leptospirosis is caused by a bacteria and is a zoonotic disease: an illness that can be transmitted from animals to humans. There are currently more than 200 serovars identified.
Pigs act as maintenance hosts for serovars Bratislava, Pomona and Tarassovi; while only the serovar Bratislava has worldwide distribution.
Although there are no exact references of the prevalence of the disease, evidence indicates it is abundant worldwide. The prevalence of infection with the different serovars also varies between countries, depending on the presence of maintenance hosts and of their contact with the pig population. The rates also vary depending on the laboratory technique used to ascertain the disease. In Spain it is estimated that approximately 85% of the farms tested at a national level are positive to some pathogenic Leptospira serovar.
Canada
Total: 100%1 / 66.4%1
lcterohaemorrhagiae: 100%1 / 57.1%2
Bratislava: 100%1 / 35.1%2
Pomona: 27%1 / 1%1
United States
Total: 38%1
Pomona: 2.4%1
Bratislava: 41.8%1
lcterohaemorrhagiae: 8.1%1
Mexico
Bratislava: 66%1
lcterohaemorrhagiae: 19%1
Brazil
Total: 77.9%1
Hardjo: 34 .5%1
Bratislava:
0.5%1
Argentina
Total: 30%2
Germany
Bratislava:
41%3
Pomona: 16%3
Polando
Tarassovi: 3%1
Pomona: 33%3
Zimbabwe:
Total: 34%1
South Africa
Total: 22%2
lcterohaemorrhagiae: 100%2
Bratislava: 7.5%2
Thailand
Total: 11.2%1
Tarassovi: 2.2%1
Australis: 2%1
Vietnam
Total: 8.2%2
Tarassovi: 2 .2%2
Australis: 2%2
New Zealand:
Total: 90%1
Based on: Garcia Pena, Francisco Javier, Essential guides on swine health and production, leptospirosis, Servet 2018.
1 Prevalence on a farm level: animals from different farms. Were tested and farms that had at least one positive animal were considered positive.
2 Individual prevalence: percentage positive out of all the animals tested, regardless of the farm of origin.
3 Prevalence of infected animals: percentage positive for a particular serve out of all animals infected by leptospira.