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Epidemiology of Leptospira weilii serovar Topaz infections in Australia
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Epidemiology of Leptospira weilii serovar Topaz infections in Australia

A T Slack, M L Symonds, M F Dohnt, B G Corney and Lee D Smythe
Communicable Diseases Intelligence Quarterly Report, Vol.31(2), pp.216-222
2007
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http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/cda-cdi3102-pdf-cnt.htm/$FILE/cdi3102h.pdfView
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Abstract

Clinical Sciences Public Health and Health Services Epidemiology Zoonoses leptospira weilii leptospirois
Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease with a worldwide distribution. Leptospira weilii serovar (sv.) Topaz is a newly described serovar first isolated in the far north of Queensland, Australia. The epidemiology of L. weilii sv. Topaz infections in Australia was characterised through the use of surveillance questionnaires and molecular studies. There have been 24 human and 2 animal (bovine and bandicoot) L. weilii sv. Topaz infections diagnosed since 1991. The majority of these infections have occurred in Far North Queensland, with the remaining infections occurring in South East Queensland and in Western Australia. The majority of patients with L. weilii sv. Topaz infections presented with classical leptospirosis symptoms including; fever, headaches, sweats, chills and myalgia. The occupations of human cases of L. weilii sv. Topaz infection included banana farming, dairy and beef cattle production and tourist related activities. Fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphism (FAFLP) was performed on 15 L. weilii sv. Topaz isolates including 2 animal isolates. Clustering analysis grouped the 15 isolates into 5 main clades with 13 uniqueFAFLP profiles. A high level of relatedness was demonstrated between 2 animal and 2 human isolates.

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