Leptospira Infection Prevalence in Small Mammal Host Populations on Three Hawaiian Islands

Mayee Wong Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii; Department of Public Health Sciences, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii; Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

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Alan R. Katz Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii; Department of Public Health Sciences, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii; Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

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Dongmei Li Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii; Department of Public Health Sciences, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii; Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

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Bruce A. Wilcox Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii; Department of Public Health Sciences, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii; Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

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We describe the geographic distribution and variation in host-pathogen specificity for Leptospira-infected small mammals collected concurrently from three Hawaiian Islands over a period of 14 years: 1990–2003. Four serogroups (Icterohaemorrhagiae, Ballum, Sejroe, and Australis) were identified from the 15,171 animals tested. Serogroup prevalence differed across host species and islands (P < 0.0001 for each), but not across years. The host associations and biogeographic patterns of Leptospira in Hawaii indicate a pathogen community shaped by ecological factors.

Author Notes

*Address correspondence to Alan R. Katz, Department of Public Health Sciences, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Biomedical Sciences Building, Room D204, 1960 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822. E-mail: katz@hawaii.edu

Financial support: This research was partially supported by the National Science Foundation IGERT grant (0549514, P.I. B. Wilcox) and the Hawaii State Department of Health Vector Control Branch.

Authors' addresses: Mayee Wong, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, E-mail: mayee@hawaii.edu. Alan R. Katz and Dongmei Li, Department of Public Health Sciences, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, E-mails: katz@hawaii.edu and dongmeil@hawaii.edu. Bruce A. Wilcox, Global Health Asia Program, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand, E-mail: scbaw@mahidol.th.ac.

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