Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 14, 2026

High-throughput Parallel Sequencing to Measure Fitness of Leptospira interrogans Transposon Insertion Mutants During Golden Syrian Hamster Infection
11:50

High-throughput Parallel Sequencing to Measure Fitness of Leptospira interrogans Transposon Insertion Mutants During Golden Syrian Hamster Infection

Published on: December 18, 2017

The incidence of severe leptospirosis in Trinidad

C O Everard, G M Fraser-Chanpong, J D Everard

    Tropical and Geographical Medicine
    |April 1, 1987
    PubMed

    Insights

    Leptospirosis is a significant public health concern in Trinidad, with 9% of febrile patients infected. The study highlights a higher true incidence and identifies key risk factors and serogroups.

    Area of Science:

    • Infectious Diseases
    • Epidemiology
    • Microbiology

    Background:

    • Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic Leptospira bacteria.
    • It is a significant public health problem globally, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions.
    • Understanding the epidemiology of leptospirosis is crucial for effective prevention and control.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To determine the incidence and serogroup prevalence of leptospirosis in Trinidad.
    • To identify demographic risk factors associated with leptospirosis infection.
    • To assess the case fatality rate of leptospirosis in the studied population.

    Main Methods:

    • Sera from febrile patients in Trinidad were tested for leptospiral agglutinins between 1977 and 1982.
    • Confirmed cases of current and previous leptospirosis were identified using serological testing.
    • Demographic data and infecting serogroups were analyzed for confirmed cases.

    Main Results:

    • A total of 158 current cases of leptospirosis were confirmed out of 1714 patients (9% incidence).
    • Males, particularly those aged 30-39, and females with increasing age showed higher infection rates.
    • The most common infecting serogroups were Icterohaemorrhagiae (37%), Canicola (16%), and Autumnalis (11%).
    • The case fatality rate was 8.2% (13 deaths).

    Conclusions:

    • Leptospirosis is endemic in Trinidad, with a higher true incidence than reported.
    • Male gender and specific age groups are at higher risk.
    • Prompt diagnosis and treatment are essential to reduce mortality from leptospirosis.

    More Related Videos

    Polymerase Chain Reaction and Dot-Blot Hybridization for Leptospira Detection in Water Samples06:05

    Polymerase Chain Reaction and Dot-Blot Hybridization for Leptospira Detection in Water Samples

    Published on: June 14, 2024

    A Modular Workflow for Quantitative, Structural and Functional Analysis of Leptospira Biofilms08:51

    A Modular Workflow for Quantitative, Structural and Functional Analysis of Leptospira Biofilms

    Published on: December 19, 2025

    Related Concept Videos

    Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever01:26

    Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

    Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is a severe tick-borne illness caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, a Gram-negative, coccobacillary bacterium. This pathogen is an obligate intracellular parasite, requiring a host cell for replication. Transmission occurs through the bite of an infected tick. In the United States, the most important vectors are Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick) and Dermacentor andersoni (Rocky Mountain wood tick), though other tick species may also serve as vectors.
    Rabies01:28

    Rabies

    Rabies is a lethal zoonotic disease caused by a single-stranded, negative-sense RNA virus of the Lyssavirus genus, within the family Rhabdoviridae. Its primary mode of transmission to humans is through bites or saliva-contaminated scratches from infected mammals such as dogs, bats, raccoons, or foxes. Transmission can also occur if infectious saliva contacts abraded skin or intact mucous membranes, including the conjunctiva.Viral Entry and Early ReplicationOnce introduced at the bite or scratch...
    Leishmaniasis01:30

    Leishmaniasis

    Leishmaniasis is a protozoal disease caused by species of the genus Leishmania and transmitted through the bite of infected female sandflies. The parasite exists in two principal morphological forms during its life cycle. A sandfly acquires intracellular amastigotes from an infected reservoir host, such as a dog. Within the sandfly, these forms differentiate into motile, flagellated promastigotes. During a subsequent blood meal, promastigotes are injected into the human host, where they...
    Toxoplasmosis01:28

    Toxoplasmosis

    Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, poses significant public health challenges globally due to its high seroprevalence and varied clinical manifestations. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, but felids are its only definitive hosts, shedding unsporulated oocysts into the environment. Humans typically acquire the infection through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat or oocysts from...
    American Trypanosomiasis01:22

    American Trypanosomiasis

    Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a vector-borne parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a flagellated protozoan (kinetoplastid) of the family Trypanosomatidae. The disease is endemic in Latin America, although cases are increasingly reported worldwide due to human migration. Transmission most commonly occurs when feces of infected triatomine bugs contaminate bite wounds or mucosal surfaces; additional routes include congenital, transfusional, transplant-related, and oral...
    Antiprotozoal Agents01:21

    Antiprotozoal Agents

    Leishmaniasis is a widespread parasitic disease caused by several Leishmania species. It affects millions of people each year and remains a major public health problem in endemic regions. First-line treatment relies on pentavalent antimonials, including meglumine antimoniate and sodium stibogluconate. Even so, how these drugs work has not been fully clear, especially their interaction with parasite-specific biochemical pathways. One key target is trypanothione reductase (TR), an enzyme that...