Leptospira infections in cattle at the territory of Belgrade in the period from 2000. to 2010

Abstract

Examining of blood samples on leptospirosis were carried out at big public property farms located in four Belgrade municipalities: Palilula, Surcin, Zemun, Obrenovac, as well as in private sector which, besides the above mentioned, included the additional five municipalities: Mladenovac, Grocka, Cukarica, Zvezdara and Lazarevac. Research on leptospira infections in cattle was carried out in the period from 2000. to 2010., at the territory of Belgrade. Serological examination of 123.971 cattle blood samples was done. The number of seropositive animals was 1.132 (0.91%). The biggest number of seropositive samples was noticed at Palilula (498), then in Surcin (245), Obrenovac (183), Zemun (177), and the least, only two in Zvezdara municipality. In the cattle, serovariety Leptospira grippotyphosa found in 459 blood samples (40.54%) dominated, then came Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae 356 (31.44%), Leptospira pomona 258 (22.79%), Leptospira bataviae 53 (4.68%) and Leptospira hardjo 6 (0.53%). In cattle blood serums no specific antibodies against L.canicola, L.serjöe and L.australis were determined. Titre height of antibodies against leptospires ranged from 1:100 to 1:300000. Examining of cattle blood serums showed that the percentage of infected aminals ranged from 2.82 to 0%, what globally is not a significant percentage for this infection. Observing the disease course of spreading, it can be noticed that it has been decreasing since 2000. when it was at its peak (2.82%), what can be the result of a continual control, as well as of measures that are conducted with the aim of eradication the zoonosis.

Keywords

• antibodies
• cattle
• infection
• leptospirosis
• zoonosis