Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026

Polymerase Chain Reaction and Dot-Blot Hybridization for Leptospira Detection in Water Samples
Published on: June 14, 2024
Seroepidemiology of leptospirosis in southern Vietnamese children
Khoa T D Thai1, Tran Quang Binh, Phan Trong Giao
1Division of Infectious Diseases, Tropical Medicine & AIDS, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Tropical Diseases Clinical Research Center, Cho Ray Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Objective:
To estimate the seroprevalence of human leptospirosis in southern Vietnam.
Methods:
All pupils (n=961) of two primary schools in two communes in southern Vietnam were screened for the presence of serum Leptospira immunoglobulin (Ig)G. Leptospira IgM was tested in 92 randomly selected samples. IgM and IgG were tested with a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Results:
Leptospira IgG was found in 123 (12.8%, 95% CI: 10.8-15.1) children with a male:female ratio of 1.5:1. At the age of 7 years the prevalence was 11%. Log-linear binary regression of the IgG seroprevalence by age showed a mean seroconversion rate of 1.5% (95% CI: 1.23-1.75) per year. Five (5.4%, 95% CI: 2.3-12.1) samples were definitely positive for IgM. Presence of serum Leptospira IgG antibodies was significantly associated with swimming in rivers (RR: 1.745, 95% CI: 1.117-2.724) and wading through water (RR 1.793, 95% CI: 1.181-2.722).
Conclusion:
Our data emphasize the importance of leptospirosis among children in Vietnam, despite the absence of severe disease, and stress the need for adequate and cheap diagnostics.
Related Concept Videos
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Leishmaniasis
Viral Meningitis

