# A retrospective study of animal leptospirosis in Kazakhstan

## TL;DR

This study analyzed leptospirosis in animals in Kazakhstan to understand its spread and identify the pathogens involved.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into the distribution and serogroups of leptospirosis in Kazakhstan's animal populations.

## Key findings

- Leptospirosis was detected in 6.32% of cattle, 5.4% of sheep, 4.2% of horses, and 1.8% of pigs.
- The highest infection rates were found in the Turkestan, Almaty, and Kyzylorda regions.
- PCR tests on animal and rodent samples in 2022 did not detect pathogenic leptospires.

## Abstract

The purpose of the paper was to monitor the disease incidence in farm and wild animals in some areas of Kazakhstan, which are most susceptible to leptospirosis, and the typification of isolated pathogens, carried out under the scientific and technical program “Studying the epizootological characteristics of the country territory on particularly dangerous diseases and developing veterinary and sanitary measures to improve their effectiveness” in 2021–2023.

The material included the reports of veterinary laboratories on leptospirosis in recent years, as well as laboratory tests on samples carried out at the “SANA” research and development enterprise. During this period, 6,701 serum samples from farm animals and 86,651 serum samples from rodents were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

The serological results showed antibody titers in the blood of 6.32% of cattle, 5.4% of sheep, 4.2% of horses, and 1.8% of pigs. The highest number of positive samples were found in Turkestan (12.3%), Almaty (11.7%), and Kyzylorda (11.4%) regions. Infection in rodents was lower and ranged from 0.34% to 0.07% during these years. The population of leptospira-causing diseases of animals on the territory of the country is represented by 8 serogroups. Studies in 2022 on the detection of pathogenic leptospires by polymerase chain reaction in 350 samples of blood serum from animals and 350 samples of biomaterial from rodents from different regions of Kazakhstan were negative.

Studies conducted as part of this work will help reduce the incidence of disease among the population and animals in Kazakhstan.