A survey of leptospirosis in febrile patients mainly from hospitals and clinics in Trinidad

Abstract

Acute and convalescent sera were obtained from 202 febrile patients, most of whom were admitted to or attended hospitals or clinics in northern Trinidad during the 12 months from mid-February 1977 to mid-February 1978. Laboratory tests confirmed that 10 of the patients were suffering from current leptospirosis while another 54 had serological evidence of previous leptospiral infections. Antibodies to strains of the Icterohaemorrhagiae serogroup were most commonly found, followed by those to the Hebdomadis and Autumnalis serogroups. Isolates were obtained from the blood of two and the urine of three of the 10 current cases. Four of these strains were identified as belonging to copenhageni serovar of the Icterohaemorrhagiae serogroup and one to serovar brasiliensis of the Bataviae serogroup. Seven of the patients suffering from leptospirosis were males, all rural dwellers, and all except one under 20 years of age. Two of the three female patients were over 60 years old and were urban dwellers. It was not possible to identify the sources of infection with certainty, although dogs may have been responsible for three of the Icterohaemorrhagiae and one of the Canicola infections. Of the 192 patients who were not currently infected, serological evidence of previous infection was obtained in 31 (40%) males and 23 (21%) females and was most common among farmers and rural workers.