The Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT) Is an Unreliable Predictor of Infecting Leptospira Serovar in Thailand

Lee D. Smythe WHO/FAO/OIE Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Leptospirosis, Western Pacific Region, Communicable Disease Unit, Queensland Health Scientific Services, Brisbane, Australia; Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Medical Department, Udon Thani Reginal Hospital, Udon Thani, Thailand

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Vanaporn Wuthiekanun WHO/FAO/OIE Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Leptospirosis, Western Pacific Region, Communicable Disease Unit, Queensland Health Scientific Services, Brisbane, Australia; Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Medical Department, Udon Thani Reginal Hospital, Udon Thani, Thailand

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Wirongrong Chierakul WHO/FAO/OIE Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Leptospirosis, Western Pacific Region, Communicable Disease Unit, Queensland Health Scientific Services, Brisbane, Australia; Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Medical Department, Udon Thani Reginal Hospital, Udon Thani, Thailand

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Yupin Suputtamongkol WHO/FAO/OIE Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Leptospirosis, Western Pacific Region, Communicable Disease Unit, Queensland Health Scientific Services, Brisbane, Australia; Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Medical Department, Udon Thani Reginal Hospital, Udon Thani, Thailand

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Surapee Tiengrim WHO/FAO/OIE Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Leptospirosis, Western Pacific Region, Communicable Disease Unit, Queensland Health Scientific Services, Brisbane, Australia; Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Medical Department, Udon Thani Reginal Hospital, Udon Thani, Thailand

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Michael F. Dohnt WHO/FAO/OIE Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Leptospirosis, Western Pacific Region, Communicable Disease Unit, Queensland Health Scientific Services, Brisbane, Australia; Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Medical Department, Udon Thani Reginal Hospital, Udon Thani, Thailand

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Meegan L. Symonds WHO/FAO/OIE Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Leptospirosis, Western Pacific Region, Communicable Disease Unit, Queensland Health Scientific Services, Brisbane, Australia; Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Medical Department, Udon Thani Reginal Hospital, Udon Thani, Thailand

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Andrew T. Slack WHO/FAO/OIE Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Leptospirosis, Western Pacific Region, Communicable Disease Unit, Queensland Health Scientific Services, Brisbane, Australia; Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Medical Department, Udon Thani Reginal Hospital, Udon Thani, Thailand

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Apichat Apiwattanaporn WHO/FAO/OIE Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Leptospirosis, Western Pacific Region, Communicable Disease Unit, Queensland Health Scientific Services, Brisbane, Australia; Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Medical Department, Udon Thani Reginal Hospital, Udon Thani, Thailand

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Sunee Chueasuwanchai WHO/FAO/OIE Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Leptospirosis, Western Pacific Region, Communicable Disease Unit, Queensland Health Scientific Services, Brisbane, Australia; Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Medical Department, Udon Thani Reginal Hospital, Udon Thani, Thailand

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Nicholas P. Day WHO/FAO/OIE Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Leptospirosis, Western Pacific Region, Communicable Disease Unit, Queensland Health Scientific Services, Brisbane, Australia; Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Medical Department, Udon Thani Reginal Hospital, Udon Thani, Thailand

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Sharon J. Peacock WHO/FAO/OIE Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Leptospirosis, Western Pacific Region, Communicable Disease Unit, Queensland Health Scientific Services, Brisbane, Australia; Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Medical Department, Udon Thani Reginal Hospital, Udon Thani, Thailand

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.2009.09-0252
Volume/Issue:
Volume 81: Issue 4
Page(s):
695–697
Restricted access
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A prospective study in Thailand identified 106 patients with culture-proven leptospirosis. The accuracy of the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) in predicting the infecting serovar was evaluated in 78/106 (74%) patients with a diagnostic titer. MAT correctly determined the infecting serovar in 26 cases (33%), indicating that this assay is a poor predictor of infecting serovar in our setting.

Author Notes

Reprint requests: Vanaporn Wuthiekanun, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Rajvithi Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand, E-mail: lek@tropmedres.ac.
Copyright:
Copyright 2009 The American Society of Tropical Medicine 2009
Received:
09 May 2009
|
Accepted:
25 Jun 2009
|
Published Online:
Oct 2009
Cover The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Print ISSN:
0002-9637
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