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Updated: Jul 29, 2026
10:47
Immuno-fluorescence Assay of Leptospiral Surface-exposed Proteins
Published on: July 1, 2011
Lai-like leptospira from the Andaman Islands
S C Sehgal1, P Vijayachari, L D Smythe
1Regional Medical Research Centre (ICMR), Port Blair, Australia.
The Indian Journal of Medical Research
|March 14, 2001
Summary
Researchers identified Leptospira serovar lai from a patient in the Andaman Islands. This finding is crucial for understanding leptospirosis transmission and clinical patterns in the region.
Area of Science:
- Medical Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Leptospirosis poses a significant public health challenge in the Andaman Islands.
- Previous etiological data for local leptospirosis cases were limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and identify the causative agent of leptospirosis in human patients from the Andaman Islands.
Main Methods:
- Leptospira isolate AF61 was obtained from patient blood using Ellinghausen-McCullough-Johnson-Harris (EMJH) medium.
- Identification involved microscopic agglutination test (MAT), cross agglutination absorption test (CAAT), and monoclonal antibody analysis.
Main Results:
- The isolate AF61 was confirmed to belong to the *Leptospira* serogroup icterohaemorrhagiae.
- Cross-agglutination absorption tests and monoclonal antibody analysis indicated a close relationship to serovar lai.
Conclusions:
- The identified strain AF61 is closely related to *Leptospira* serovar lai, previously linked to pulmonary hemorrhage.
- The absence of pulmonary symptoms in the patient with strain AF61 suggests potential variations in clinical presentation.
- Further research is necessary to explore the link between serovars and clinical manifestations, and the prevalence of lai and lai-like strains in Asia.
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