Prevalence and spatial analysis of antileptospiral agglutinins in dairy cattle - Microregion of Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais, 2009/2010

The aim of this study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of leptospirosis in the dairy herds from Minas Gerais, Brazil, during the years 2009 and 2010. A total of 2,915 serum samples were collected from the lactating cows of 151 properties in eleven municipalities located in the Sete Lagoas region. The Microscopic Agglutination Test was used to detect antileptospiral agglutinins. An individual animal prevalence of 20.7% (95% CI = 17.1% - 24.3%) and a herd prevalence of 80.8% (95% CI = 73.8% = 87.7%) were determined. The most prevalent serovars were hardjoprajitno at 19.4%; hardjoprajitnostrain Norma at 17.4%; and hardjo-bovis at 17.4%. These results show the significance of the hardjo serovar in bovine leptospirosis cases in Minas Gerais.