TY - JOUR
T1 - Retrospective serosurvey of leptospirosis among patients with acute febrile illness and hepatitis in Egypt
AU - Ismail, Tharwat F.
AU - Wasfy, Momtaz O.
AU - Abdul-Rahman, Bassem
AU - Murray, Clinton K.
AU - Hospenthal, Duane R.
AU - Abdel-Fadeel, Moustafa
AU - Abdel-Maksoud, Mohamed
AU - Samir, Ahmed
AU - Hatem, Mahmoud E.
AU - Klena, John
AU - Pimentel, Guillermo
AU - El-Sayed, Nasr
AU - Hajjeh, Rana
PY - 2006/12
Y1 - 2006/12
N2 - The epidemiologic status of leptospirosis in Egypt has not been well defined because of difficulties in disease diagnosis. A retrospective study was conducted to detect leptospiral antibodies among undiagnosed acute febrile illness (AFI) and hepatitis cases. Approximately 16% of both AFI (141/886) and acute hepatitis (63/392) cases showed seroreactivity to Leptospira IgM by ELISA and microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Canicola, Djasiman, Grippotyphosa, Pyrogenes, Icterohemorrhagiae, and Pomona were the most commonly reactive serovars among patients with AFI. Djasiman, Grippotyphosa and Icterohemorrhagiae were the most reactive among patients with acute hepatitis. This study represents the first systematic report of Leptospira associated with patients with AFI and hepatitis in Egypt. Physicians need to have increased awareness about the importance of leptospirosis in the differential diagnosis of AFI and acute hepatitis in Egypt. In addition, laboratory capacity should be developed at fever hospitals to diagnose leptospirosis.
AB - The epidemiologic status of leptospirosis in Egypt has not been well defined because of difficulties in disease diagnosis. A retrospective study was conducted to detect leptospiral antibodies among undiagnosed acute febrile illness (AFI) and hepatitis cases. Approximately 16% of both AFI (141/886) and acute hepatitis (63/392) cases showed seroreactivity to Leptospira IgM by ELISA and microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Canicola, Djasiman, Grippotyphosa, Pyrogenes, Icterohemorrhagiae, and Pomona were the most commonly reactive serovars among patients with AFI. Djasiman, Grippotyphosa and Icterohemorrhagiae were the most reactive among patients with acute hepatitis. This study represents the first systematic report of Leptospira associated with patients with AFI and hepatitis in Egypt. Physicians need to have increased awareness about the importance of leptospirosis in the differential diagnosis of AFI and acute hepatitis in Egypt. In addition, laboratory capacity should be developed at fever hospitals to diagnose leptospirosis.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34948889410&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.4269/ajtmh.2006.75.1085
DO - 10.4269/ajtmh.2006.75.1085
M3 - Article
C2 - 17172371
AN - SCOPUS:34948889410
SN - 0002-9637
VL - 75
SP - 1085
EP - 1089
JO - American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
JF - American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
IS - 6
ER -