[Diagnostic research on leptospirosis in the Milanese territory]

168 serum specimens have been tested for Leptospirosis in the years from 1980 to 1983. The identification procedure was a macroscopic plate agglutination screening test with formalin fied antigens and a confirmatory microscopic agglutination-lysis test of live antigens of actively growing cultures of different pathogenic serotypes propagated in a fluid medium. 34 serum specimens (23.8%) relevant to 18 cases were positive. L. icterohaemorrhagiae was positive in 12 cases (63.1%), L. pomona in 2 cases (10.5%), L. canicola in 1 case (5.3%), 1 case was positive for both L. grippotyphosa and L. bataviae and 1 case was positive for L. poi and L. sejroe. During the summer-fall of 1981 40 specimens of surface water from 4 pre-alpin lakes of the Provincia of Como were tested for Leptospiras with the cultural and biological examinations, following the detection of several leptospirosis cases on the relevant area. All water specimens gave negative results.