[Small mammals as leptospirosis carriers on waste dumps]

In 1980-1986 the authors examined 2,720 small mammals (17 species) from six dumps of wastes in South-Bohemia serologically for leptospirosis. 397 small mammals from the agglomeration of Ceské Budĕjovice and 1,399 from four characteristic biotops in the valley of the river Vltava in South-Bohemia were investigated for a comparison. In small mammals from the dump of wastes at Ceské Budĕjovice antibodies against L. grippotyphosa were detected in 4.9%, against the serovars from the serogroup Sejroe in 2.6% and against L. icterohaemorrhagiae in 0.1%. In other five dumps of wastes only L. grippotyphosa antibodies were ascertained in small mammals, namely from 1.6% to 6.7%. In the agglomeration of the town Ceské Budejovice small mammals were positive in 4.0%, also for L. grippotyphosa only, in seven localities in the valley of the river Vltava with the same serovar in an average of 2.3%, with sorex-jalna in 0.1%.