LETTERS

controls. Emerg Infect Dis. 2006;12: the wild, most animals had been born Seroprevalence on the farm in Lo- 1175–6. in captivity, remained on their respec- reto (n = 27) was 100%. At this farm, 7. Chung JY, Han TH, Hwang ES, Ko JS, Seo JK. Prevalence and genotypes of tive farms, and had no contact with an- peccaries are kept near aquatic spe- transfusion-transmitted virus in children imals from the different farms. Blood cies and numerous ponds of stagnant with hepatitis [in Korean]. Korean J Pedi- samples were taken from animals that water, which provide an ideal envi- atr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2005;8:202–12. were born or maintained on the farm ronment for the development of Lep- 8. Chua PK, Nerurkar VR, Yu Q, Woodward CL, Melish ME, Yanagihara R. Lack of for ≥6 months, were in good physi- tospira spp. Because of recent human association between Kawasaki syndrome cal condition, and showed no signs of leptospirosis outbreaks in the area (2), and infection with parvovirus B19, human disease. Samples that had been hemo- 3 of the peccary caretakers were tested herpesvirus 8, TT virus, GB virus C/hepa- lyzed or otherwise contaminated were for antibodies against Leptospira spp.; titis G virus or Chlamydia pneumoniae. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2000;19:477–9. discarded, leaving optimal samples their results were negative. from 96 animals (sex ratio 1:1, 71% Although similar to animals de- Address for correspondence: Tae Hee >1 year of age). scribed in previous reports (7,9), Han, Department of Laboratory Medicine, The microscopic agglutination none of the sampled animals showed Sanggyepaik Hospital, Inje University College test was performed with a panel of 24 evidence of disease at the time of sam- of Medicine, 761-1 Nowon-Gu, Seoul, Republic antigens belonging to 17 serogroups pling; however, absence of clinical of Korea; email: [email protected] of Leptospira spp. used for screening disease does not exclude the possibil- surveys at the National Leptospirosis ity of subclinical or past infections. Reference Laboratory. An additional Furthermore, the high prevalence of distinct strain, obtained from a febrile antibodies to multiple serotypes sug- human patient in the Peruvian Ama- gests a wide exposure to Leptospira zon and provisionally designated as spp. Despite reports that suggest the Var10, was added (2). Serum samples collared peccary could act as a res- were considered positive if they had ervoir for Leptospira spp. (7,9), the Antibodies against 50% agglutination and titers >100 (6). fi nding of high antibody titers in some Leptospira spp. in Chi-square tests were used for statisti- individual animals could indicate that Captive Collared cal comparisons of sex and age; sig- collared peccaries are incidental rath- nifi cance was set at p<0.05. er than reservoir hosts. However, the Peccaries, Among the screened samples, prevalences found at 4 distant farms 64.6% reacted to 15 serovars (strains) also indicate that this species could To the Editor: Leptospirosis is that belong to 11 serogroups (Table). play some role in the maintenance and endemic to tropical South America Seroprevalence did not differ signifi - spread of leptospirosis in the Amazon and is a major public health problem cantly in relation to sex or age. Var10 Basin. for persons living in some regions was the most prevalent (56.2%) strain. Multiple titers to different se- of the Amazon Basin (1–3). For lo- This strain was isolated from a hu- rovars or serogroups in the same se- cal inhabitants, the collared peccary man patient in (Loreto, Peru) rum sample are common with sero- (Tayassu tajacu) represents a major and involved in recent outbreaks in logic testing and diffi cult to interpret. source of meat and income and is the northern Peruvian Amazon (2); its Multiple titers can result from cross- one of the most hunted species. As a taxonomic classifi cation is pending. In reactions between different serovars result, several farms are attempting terms of its distribution, 32 peccaries or from true multiple infections (10). to produce captive collared peccaries had positive results for Var10 only; Regardless, serologic tests are only (4). Although spirochetes have been 12 serum samples were reactive to indicative of exposure to leptospires. isolated from bats, marsupials, and >1 known serogroup. Leptospira sp. Further efforts are necessary to isolate rodents in the Peruvian Amazon (5), Var10 reacted mainly with serogroups lepstospires from the urine or renal local popular game animals have not Australis and Hebdomadis. Maxi- tissue of collared peccaries to con- been tested. mum titers were 6,400 for serogroup fi rm the presence of spirochetes and From May through December Tarassovi and 3,200 for Icterohaemor- their potential dissemination into the 2003, 96 collared peccaries from 4 raghiae. High seroprevalence (15.6%) environment. experimental farms in 2 Amazonian against serogroup Australis (serovar Our fi ndings indicate that persons of Peru (Loreto and Ucay- bratislava) has been reported in col- who have contact with collared pec- ali) were surveyed for antibodies lared peccaries and in feral and do- caries and their products, particularly against Leptospira spp. Although the mestic pigs (7,8) animal caretakers, researchers, hunt- initial stock of each farm came from ers, and game traders, are at risk for

Emerging Infectious Diseases • www.cdc.gov/eid • Vol. 13, No. 5, May 2007 793 LETTERS

Table. Prevalence of antileptospiral agglutinins per positive serogroup in captive collared peccaries, Peruvian Amazon, May 2003–Dec 2003* Loreto area Ucayali area BIOAM Natural Club Divina (n = 27) Park (n = 6) San Juan (n = 52) Montaña (n = 11) Positive Positive Positive Positive Positive reactions reactions Max reactions Max reactions Max reactions Max Serogroup no. (%) Max titer no. (%) titer no. (%) titer no. (%) titer no. (%) titer Total 62 (64.6) 6,400 27 (100) 6,400 1 (16.6) 100 27 (51.9) 3,200 7 (63.6) 100 Var10† 54 (56.2) 1,600 27 (100) 1,600 1 (16.6) 100 19 (36.5) 1,600 7 (63.6) 100 Australis 15 (15.6) 800 5 (18.5) 100 0 – 9 (17.3) 800 1 (9.1) 100 Hebdomadis 7 (7.3) 100 5 (18.5) 100 0 – 2 (3.8) 100 0 – Icterohaemorrhagiae 4 (4.2) 3,200 2 (7.4) 100 0 – 2 (3.8) 3,200 0 – Autumnalis 4 (4.2) 100 3 (11.1) 100 0 – 1 (1.9) 100 0 – Bataviae 4 (4.2) 400 2 (7.4) 200 0 – 2 (3.8) 400 0 – Tarassovi 3 (3.1) 6,400 3 (11.1) 6,400 0 – 0 – 0 – Djasiman 2 (2.1) 800 0 – 0 – 2 (3.8) 800 0 – Grippothyphosa 2 (2.1) 800 0 – 0 – 2 (3.8) 800 0 – Ballum 2 (2.1) 100 2 (7.4) 100 0 – 0 – 0 – Canicola 1 (1.0) 100 0 – 0 – 1 (1.9) 100 0 – Mini 1 (1.0) 100 0 – 0 – 1 (1.9) 100 0 – *BIOAM, Biodiversidad Amazónica; Max, maximum; –, titer not applicable. †Classification pending. zoonotic disease (3). Because further *Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Mar- Trop Med Hyg. 2000;63:225–58. Avail- wildlife production in the Peruvian cos, , Peru; †Autonomous University of able from http://www.ajtmh.org 6. Céspedes M, Glenny M. Manual de pro- Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain; ‡Instituto Na- Amazon is expected, movement of an- cedimientos bacteriológico y serológico imals and high animal densities could cional de Salud, Lima, Peru; and §Centre para el diagnóstico de la Leptospirosis. increase the chances of spirochete de Coopération Internationale en Recher- Serie de Normas Técnicas nº 34. Lima, transmission within and between the che Agronomique pour le Développement, Perú: Ministerio de Salud del Perú, Insti- tuto Nacional de Salud; 2002. p. 53. Montpellier, France farms. Therefore, precautions should 7. Corn JL, Lee RM, Erickson GA, Murphy be taken to limit the potential risks for CD. Serologic survey for evidence of ex- leptospirosis transmission to domestic posure to vesicular stomatitis virus, pseu- animals and humans. References dorabies virus, brucellosis and leptospiro- sis in collared peccaries from Arizona. J 1. Bharti AR, Nally JE, Ricaldi JN, Mat- Wildl Dis. 1987;23:551–7. thias MA, Diaz MM, Lovett MA, et al. Acknowledgments 8. Lomar AV, Diament D. Torres JR. Lepto- Leptospirosis: a zoonotic disease of global spirosis in Latin America. Infect Dis Clin We thank the staff of Biodiversidad importance. Lancet Infect Dis. 2003;3: North Am. 2000;14:23–39. Amazónica, San Juan (Backus Founda- 757–71. 9. Mayor P, Le Pendu Y, Guimarães DA, 2. Segura ER, Ganoza CA, Campos K, tion), Pucallpa Natural Park, and Club da Silva JV, Tavares HL, Tello M, et al. Ricaldi JN, Torres S, Silva H, et al. Clini- A health evaluation in a colony of captive Divina Montaña Resort for supporting the cal spectrum of pulmonary involvement peccaries (Tayassu tajacu) in the Eastern experimental animals and helping with in leptospirosis in a region of endemicity, Amazon. 2006. Res Vet Sci. 2006;81: sample collection. We also thank Pucallpa with quantifi cation of leptospiral burden. 246–53. Clin Infect Dis. 2005;40:343–51. Natural Park staff for their invaluable as- 10. André Fontaine G. Leptospirose. In: 3. Silverman MS, Aronson L, Eccles M, Lefèvre PC, Blancou J, Chermette R, edi- sistance during the fi eld work and the Na- Eisenstat J, Gottesman M, Rowsell R, et tors. Principales maladies infectieuses et tional Leptospirosis Reference Laboratory al. Leptospirosis in febrile men ingesting parasitaires du bétail: Europe et régions of Lima, Peru, for sample processing. Agouti paca in South America. Ann Trop chaudes. Vol 2. Maladies bactériennes, Med Parasitol. 2004;98:851–9. mycoses, maladies parasitaires. Paris: This work received fi nancial support 4. Bodmer RE, Pezo Lozano E, Fang TG. Editions Médicales Internationales; 2003. Economic analysis of wildlife use in the from the National Health Institute of Peru p. 993–1005. Peruvian Amazon. In: Silvius K, Bodmer and the INCO PECARI project (European R, Fragoso, J, editors. People in nature: Commission 5th Framework Programme). wildlife conservation in South and Central Address for correspondence: Patricia Mendoza, America. New York: Columbia University Instituto Veterinario de Investigaciones Press; 2004. p. 191–210. Tropicales y de Altura, Universidad Nacional Patricia Mendoza,* Pedro 5. Bunnell J, Hice C, Watts D, Montrueil V, Mayor de San Marcos, PO Box 575, Iquitos, Mayor,† Hugo A. Gálvez,* Tesh R, Vinetz J. Detection of pathogenic Peru 625; email: patty_mendozab@yahoo. Manuel J. Céspedes,‡ and Leptospira spp. infections among mam- mals captured in the Peruvian Amazon com.ar Ferran Jori§ Basin region. [cited 2007 Mar 13]. Am J

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