Seroprevalence and renal carriage of pathogenic Leptospira in livestock in Cotonou, Benin

Abstract Background Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease. It is particularly prevalent in tropical countries and has major consequences for human and animal health. In Benin, the disease's epidemiology remains poorly understood, especially in livestock, for which data are lacking. Objectives To characterise Leptospira seroprevalence and locally circulating serogroups in livestock from Cotonou and to estimate the prevalence of Leptospira renal carriage in cattle. Methods We conducted a cross‐sectional study in February 2020 during which livestock were sampled at an abattoir and in an impoverished city district. We analysed blood samples from 279 livestock animals (i.e. cattle, sheep, goats and pigs) using the microscopic agglutination test. Additionally, samples of renal tissue from 100 cattle underwent 16s rRNA ( rrs ) real‐time PCR analysis. Results For the 131 cattle, 85 sheep, and 50 goats tested, seroprevalence was 18% (95% confidence interval CI 12%, 26%), 9% (95% CI 4%, 17% and 2% (95% CI 0%, 9%), respectively, and most of the seropositive animals were associated with 1:100 titres. All 13 pigs were seronegative. Leptospira DNA was found in the renal tissue of 10% (95% CI 5%, 18%) of the cattle tested ( n = 100). Leptospira borgpetersenii was the main species present ( n = 7), but Leptospira interrogans ( n = 2) and Leptospira kirschneri ( n = 1) were also detected. Various serogroups (Canicola, Grippotyphosa, Sejroe, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Pomona, Pyrogenes, Australis and Autumnalis) were detected using microscopic agglutination test without a clear predominance of any of them. Conclusions These results suggest that abattoir workers and people living in close contact with livestock in poor urban areas are exposed to the risk of Leptospira infection.