Seroprevalence of leptospirosis in industrial livestock slaughterhouse workers in Khoy City

Leptospirosis is a world-wide zoonotic infection occurring in animals and human. Rodents and wildlife are the major sources of the infection which can excrete Leptospira in their urine. The purpose of this study was to assess the seroprevalence of leptospira species in the slaughter house workers in khoy City. 30 serum samples were obtained from people slaughterhouse workers. Sera were tested by MAT using live Leptospira antigens including hardjo, pomona, icterohaemorrhagiae, grippotyphosa, canicola and ballum. The results of this study showed that four samples (13/33 percent) were positive and 12 samples (40 percent) had doubtful results. Icterohaemorrhagiae and Pomona were the most-prevalent serotypes in positive samples and samples with doubtful results respectively. All positive samples were identified in 1:200 titre. All of the samples were negative in 1:100 and 1:400 dilutions. 50% of the positive sera belonged to the subjects between 20 and 30 years of age and other 50% belonged to those with an age range of 40-50 years. 50% of the positive samples and 83% of the samples with doubtful results belonged to the subjects with employment records of less than 7 years. Leptospirosis is an occupational disease and slaughterhouse workers are more at risk of contamination with different strains of Leptospira and developing this infection which leads to transmission of contamination to protein and nutrient cycling.