Epidemiological Study of Pathogenic Leptospira in Raccoons (Procyon lotor) in a Suburb of Tokyo, Japan

Abstract

Leptospirosis is a zoonosis that affects humans and animals worldwide. Raccoons (Procyon lotor), adopted in urban environments, may act as potential reservoirs of Leptospira. We investigated the prevalence of pathogenic Leptospira in the kidney and urine samples of raccoons living in Tokyo, as well as anti-leptospiral antibodies in their serum, and aimed to examine the factors that expose raccoons to Leptospira. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to detect leptospiral DNA and anti-leptospiral antibodies, respectively. Thirty-six of 156 raccoons (23.1%) were positive by PCR, and 16 of 165 raccoons (9.7%) were positive by ELISA. The prevalence and seroprevalence rates differed depending on the raccoon dispersal period. We used univariable logistic regression to estimate the environmental factors associated with pathogenic Leptospira and anti-leptospiral antibodies in raccoons. Significant differences were observed in the PCR results for the seasons (spring–summer) (p = 0.01), average monthly temperature (p < 0.01), and average monthly rainfall (p < 0.01). No significant difference was seen in the ELISA results, but raccoons in larger urban areas tended to have higher seroprevalence rates (p = 0.06). We identified a pattern of leptospiral spread in raccoon dispersal and environmental factors that expose raccoons to Leptospira.