An investigation of the role of wild rats in transmitting Leptospira spp. to stray cats and dogs in Malaysia
Stray cats and dogs have been reported to shed Leptospira spp., and wild rats are speculated to be involved. We aimed to elucidate the role of wild rats in transmitting Leptospira to stray cats and dogs in Malaysia. We tested sera from 124 wild rats with the microscopic agglutination test (MAT): 88...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publications Inc.
2025
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119675/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119675/1/119675.pdf |
| _version_ | 1848868035069214720 |
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| author | Muhd, Zafirah Khor, Kuan Hua Alashraf, Abdul Rahman Lau, Seng Fong Radzi, Rozanaliza Bejo, Siti Khairani Hashim, Rohaidah |
| author_facet | Muhd, Zafirah Khor, Kuan Hua Alashraf, Abdul Rahman Lau, Seng Fong Radzi, Rozanaliza Bejo, Siti Khairani Hashim, Rohaidah |
| author_sort | Muhd, Zafirah |
| building | UPM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Stray cats and dogs have been reported to shed Leptospira spp., and wild rats are speculated to be involved. We aimed to elucidate the role of wild rats in transmitting Leptospira to stray cats and dogs in Malaysia. We tested sera from 124 wild rats with the microscopic agglutination test (MAT): 88 of 122 (72%) sera were positive (titer ≥1:100), with the predominant serovars Icterohaemorrhagiae, Bataviae, Ballum, Javanica, Lai, and Pomona. With a Leptospira-specific PCR assay, we detected pathogenic Leptospira spp. in 33 of 124 (27%) kidney samples and 13 of 79 (16%) urine samples. Isolates obtained by culture of rat kidney and urine were identified to the species level with MAT using hyperimmune sera and the PCR assay. From 29 isolates, 2 pathogenic species were identified: L. interrogans serovar Bataviae and L. borgpetersenii serovar Javanica. Phylogenetic analysis using partial 16S rDNA sequences of the Leptospira spp. from the wild rats indicated that the species were similar to isolates from stray cats and dogs in previous studies. We confirmed that wild rats carried pathogenic Leptospira spp. and were a potential source of leptospiral infection of stray cats and dogs in Malaysia. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:45:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | upm-119675 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:45:59Z |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publisher | SAGE Publications Inc. |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | upm-1196752025-09-08T01:05:47Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119675/ An investigation of the role of wild rats in transmitting Leptospira spp. to stray cats and dogs in Malaysia Muhd, Zafirah Khor, Kuan Hua Alashraf, Abdul Rahman Lau, Seng Fong Radzi, Rozanaliza Bejo, Siti Khairani Hashim, Rohaidah Stray cats and dogs have been reported to shed Leptospira spp., and wild rats are speculated to be involved. We aimed to elucidate the role of wild rats in transmitting Leptospira to stray cats and dogs in Malaysia. We tested sera from 124 wild rats with the microscopic agglutination test (MAT): 88 of 122 (72%) sera were positive (titer ≥1:100), with the predominant serovars Icterohaemorrhagiae, Bataviae, Ballum, Javanica, Lai, and Pomona. With a Leptospira-specific PCR assay, we detected pathogenic Leptospira spp. in 33 of 124 (27%) kidney samples and 13 of 79 (16%) urine samples. Isolates obtained by culture of rat kidney and urine were identified to the species level with MAT using hyperimmune sera and the PCR assay. From 29 isolates, 2 pathogenic species were identified: L. interrogans serovar Bataviae and L. borgpetersenii serovar Javanica. Phylogenetic analysis using partial 16S rDNA sequences of the Leptospira spp. from the wild rats indicated that the species were similar to isolates from stray cats and dogs in previous studies. We confirmed that wild rats carried pathogenic Leptospira spp. and were a potential source of leptospiral infection of stray cats and dogs in Malaysia. SAGE Publications Inc. 2025 Article PeerReviewed text en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119675/1/119675.pdf Muhd, Zafirah and Khor, Kuan Hua and Alashraf, Abdul Rahman and Lau, Seng Fong and Radzi, Rozanaliza and Bejo, Siti Khairani and Hashim, Rohaidah (2025) An investigation of the role of wild rats in transmitting Leptospira spp. to stray cats and dogs in Malaysia. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation. pp. 1-6. ISSN 1040-6387; eISSN: 1943-4936 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12267210/ 10.1177/10406387251355254 |
| spellingShingle | Muhd, Zafirah Khor, Kuan Hua Alashraf, Abdul Rahman Lau, Seng Fong Radzi, Rozanaliza Bejo, Siti Khairani Hashim, Rohaidah An investigation of the role of wild rats in transmitting Leptospira spp. to stray cats and dogs in Malaysia |
| title | An investigation of the role of wild rats in transmitting Leptospira spp. to stray cats and dogs in Malaysia |
| title_full | An investigation of the role of wild rats in transmitting Leptospira spp. to stray cats and dogs in Malaysia |
| title_fullStr | An investigation of the role of wild rats in transmitting Leptospira spp. to stray cats and dogs in Malaysia |
| title_full_unstemmed | An investigation of the role of wild rats in transmitting Leptospira spp. to stray cats and dogs in Malaysia |
| title_short | An investigation of the role of wild rats in transmitting Leptospira spp. to stray cats and dogs in Malaysia |
| title_sort | investigation of the role of wild rats in transmitting leptospira spp. to stray cats and dogs in malaysia |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119675/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119675/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119675/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119675/1/119675.pdf |