Serological prevalence of leptospirosis in sheep in Khuzestan province using MAT method

Leptospirosis is a common zoonosis caused by Leptospira interrogans. Leptospira are more durable in temperate and humid climates and if transmitted to a vertebrate host, can lead to clinical to subclinical disease with a wide range of symptoms including fever, jaundice, hematuria, abortion and sometimes death. Sheep are important hosts of Leptospira that have received less attention due to the higher prevalence of subclinical form of the disease in this species.The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of leptospirosis serology in sheep in Khuzestan province using standard microscopic agglutination test (MAT).261 blood samples were taken from sheep in 10 cities of Khuzestan province during the autumn and winter of 2022. All samples were tested by MAT method using five serotypes of Leptospira Grippotyphosa , Pomona, Icterohemorrhagiae, Canicula and Hardjo.The results of MAT showed that 12 samples (4.5%) had positive reaction, of which 4 samples with Grippotyphosa, 4 samples with Icterohemorrhagiae, 3 samples with Hardjo and 1 sample with Pomona. Titration of positive samples showed that 10 samples had a titer of 1:100 and 2 samples had a titer of 1:400.The results of this study indicate a decrease in the serological prevalence of leptospirosis in sheep in Khuzestan province compared to previous studies. It seems that the trend of climate change, the unprecedented decrease in rainfall expectations over the past years and the increase in compliance with health protocols, have played an effective role in reducing the prevalence of the disease.