Investigation of anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies in pregnant women treated at a teaching hospital

• Grant number: 23/03380-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2023
• End date: May 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Helio Langoni
• Grantee: Nycolas Octavio Ribeiro Carvalho
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic infectious disease whose etiologic agent is the spirocheteLeptospira spp. which has more than 260 serovars and 23 serogroups. The bacteriumhas different hosts, mainly wild and synanthropic rodents, dogs, cattle and pigs, withhumans as accidental hosts. Its occurrence is mainly associated with favorableenvironmental conditions for the bacteria to be carried, as in cases of urban areas thathave poor sanitation and favorable conditions for flooding. The disease has variableclinical pictures, the classical form being known as Weil syndrome, with acute renalfailure, jaundice, and hemorrhages, such as pulmonary hemorrhages; other symptomssuch as conjunctival suffusions, diarrhea, myalgia, vomiting, and fever have beenreported. Pregnant women are more sensitive to infection, and may have more severeclinical signs, besides severely harming fetal development, leading to abortions in thefirst two trimesters of gestation, congenital and sick neonates. The objective of thepresent study is to evaluate the seroprevalence of leptospiral antibodies againstdifferent serovars, common to humans, and to relate it to the geographical region oforigin of the pregnant woman. We will evaluate 200 serum samples from pregnantwomen seen at the Gynecology and Obstetrics Ward of the Hospital das Clinicas,Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu (FMB), Botucatu, SP, during the prenatal period,using the Microscopic Serum Agglutination Test (MAT).