Article Category:
Research Article

Serologically Confirmed Human Leptospirosis in Colombia, 2015–2020

Eliana L. Parra-Barrera Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile;
Multidisciplinary Initiative for Collaborative Research on Bacterial Resistance (MICROB-R), Santiago, Chile;
Clinical Studies and Clinical Epidemiology Division, Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia;
Grupo de Microbiología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, Colombia;

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Solmara Bello-Piruccini Grupo de Microbiología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, Colombia;

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Karina Rodríguez Grupo de Microbiología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, Colombia;

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Carolina Duarte-Valderrama Grupo de Microbiología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, Colombia;

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Marisa Torres Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile;

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Eduardo A. Undurraga Multidisciplinary Initiative for Collaborative Research on Bacterial Resistance (MICROB-R), Santiago, Chile;
Escuela de Gobierno, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile;
The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research Azrieli Global Scholars Program, CIFAR, Toronto, Canada;
Research Center for Integrated Disaster Risk Management (CIGIDEN), Santiago, Chile

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.23-0654
Volume/Issue:
Ahead of Print
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Leptospirosis, a bacterial infection transmitted through contact with infected animals or contaminated water sources, imposes a substantial health burden in Colombia. Since 2007, the National Institute of Health (INS) has mandated the notification and confirmation of all suspected leptospirosis cases. This passive surveillance program employs the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) on serum samples to ascertain confirmed cases of leptospirosis infection. However, the absence of a robust surveillance system has hindered our comprehensive understanding of the morbidity, mortality, geographical distribution, species/serovars, and strains responsible for severe disease. Our study aimed to provide an epidemiological overview of MAT-confirmed human leptospirosis cases reported over 6 years (2015–2020) in Colombia. In addition, we offer insights into the status of leptospirosis in the country, focusing on risk factors and proposing potential improvements for diagnosis and disease management. During the 6-year surveillance period, the laboratory at the INS received 3,535 serum samples from suspected human leptospirosis cases, with 880 (25%) confirmed through MAT. The incidence of leptospirosis was calculated at 1.9 cases per 100,000 people, with a higher prevalence among men (82.1%). Furthermore, 54 (6.1%) deaths were confirmed as leptospirosis, and cases were documented across nearly all regions of Colombia. Our findings emphasize the urgent need to strengthen leptospirosis laboratory surveillance, implement effective prevention measures, and enhance diagnostic capabilities in Colombia. The analysis conducted in this study provides the groundwork for estimating the impact of leptospirosis and raises awareness of its significance in public health.

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Author Notes

Financial support: E. A. Undurraga was supported by The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research CIFAR under the Humans and the Microbiome program, the Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo ANID/FONDAP CIGIDEN (Grant no. 1522A0005), and Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico FONDECYT (Grant no. 1211933).

Disclosure: All information on leptospirosis was collected from the National Reference Laboratory. The Medical Research Ethics Committee of the Institute of Health in Colombia anonymized all personally identifiable information, such as names, addresses, and telephone numbers. The study adhered to guidelines and regulations for safeguarding protected health information in Colombia and Chile. The Scientific Ethics Committee for Health Sciences at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile reviewed and approved the study protocol (Resolution Act: protocol ID 210418003 of August 31, 2021). The study did not require informed consent.

Authors’ contributions: Conceived and designed the study: E. L. Parra-Barrera, E. A. Undurraga, and M. Torres. Performed the sample processing: S. Bello-Piruccini and K. Rodríguez. Analyzed the data: E. L. Parra-Barrera and E. A. Undurraga. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: E. A. Undurraga, M. Torres, C. Duarte-Valderrama, and S. Bello-Piruccini. Wrote the paper: E. L. Parra-Barrera and E. A. Undurraga. Additional manuscript editing and corrections: E. A. Undurraga, S. Bello-Piruccini, M. Torres, K. Rodríguez, C. Duarte-Valderrama, and E. L. Parra-Barrera.

Current contact information: Eliana L. Parra-Barrera and Marisa Torres, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile, E-mails: elipabarrera@yahoo.es and marisa@med.uc.cl or marisadelour@gmail.com. Solmara Bello-Piruccini, Karina Rodríguez, and Carolina Duarte-Valderrama, Grupo Microbiología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, Colombia, E-mails: chomy33@hotmail.com, mrodriguez@ins.gov.co, cduarte@ins.gov.co. Eduardo A. Undurraga, Escuela de Gobierno, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile, E-mail: eundurra@uc.cl.

Address correspondence to Eliana L. Parra-Barrera, Av. Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins 340, 8331150 Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile. E-mail: elipabarrera@yahoo.es
Copyright:
© American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 2024
Received:
18 Sep 2023
|
Accepted:
21 Mar 2024
|
Published Online:
06 Aug 2024
Cover The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Print ISSN:
0002-9637
Online ISSN:
1476-1645
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