SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS OF LEPTOSPIROSIS TRANSMISSION

Abstract

Intro: Leptospirosis is an emerging zoonotic tropical disease caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira. The condition is an increasingly global public health challenge facilitated by environmental and socioeconomic factors. Hence, we conducted this systematic review to determine the significant predisposing factors of the disease transmission. Methods: We prepared an a priori protocol for this systematic review and conducted a literature search from Ovid, PubMed, and Scopus databases. The searched articles were identified, screened, and evaluated for quality through the risk of bias assessment, which led to the extraction of relevant data in the study. As a result, we retrieved 927 articles from the databases; however, only 23 have passed the screening processes and were involved in this article. Findings: We found various studies recorded within the study period with a wide range of sporadic incidence. Association with rodents had the highest mean incidence (40.53%), the least being proximity to sewers (2.18%) among the environmental variables. Low income (9.32%) and occupational exposure (9.06) are the socioeconomic factors of leptospirosis transmission, with a high percentage of incidences. Discussion: Leptospirosis, an emerging tropical and subtropical bacterial zoonosis has been on the rise worldwide. The spread of the bacteria to humans is partly due to associated transmission factors such as rodents and other animals, recreational activities, and proximity to water bodies Conclusion: Environmental and socioeconomic risk factors contribute to the transmission of leptospirosis; their management could help to minimize the disease transmission.