Distribution of Leptospira Spp. on the Small Asian Mongoose and the Roof Rat Inhabiting the Northern Part of Okinawa Island

Abstract

We investigated the prevalence of pathogenic Leptospira spp. on the small Asian mongoose (Herpestes javanicus) and the roof rat (Rattus rattus) in the northern part of Okinawa island, Japan, in 2000. Leptospira spp. were isolated from 40 (30.1%) out of 133 mongooses and 11 (20.4%) out of 54 roof rats. The strains isolated from the mongoose were identified as L. interrogans serogroup hebdomadis and autumnalis and L. borgpetersenii serovar javanica by microscopic agglutination test and flaB-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This is the first record of serovar javanica from mongoose inhabiting Okinawa Island. The strains from the roof rats were identified as serovar javanica. The incidence of infection increased with the mongooses' body length, which is a good index of their age. We found that in the northern part of Okinawa island, the mongoose and the roof rat are reservoirs of Leptospira spp., and so these animals pose a danger to people in those area.