Leptospirosis is caused by pathogenic spirochaetes of the genus Leptospira that affects many mammalian species, including humans. In the recent years, leptospirosis is identified as a global public health problem because of its increased mortality and morbidity in different countries. In the current study, a total of 217 serum samples were collected from equine and human including 92 serum samples were collected from equine (mares and foals) including; Arabic horses (34), Balady horses (25) and donkeys (32) were collected from individually owned animals. In addition, a total of 125 blood samples were collected from human beings; including 29 samples collected from apparently healthy individuals attending a private clinical laboratory, 46 patients suffered from fever of unknown origin (FUO), 21 patients with confusion, neck stiffness and rigidity suggesting meningitis and 29 aborted women. All the collected samples were subjected to serological examination by ProiCHECk L. Hardjo Ab Kits for presence of L. Hardjo antibodies. The obtained results in the current study revealed that the highest mean PP of mares was observed in sera of mares of donkeys (50.1%), followed by mares of Balady horses and Arabic horses (45.8 and 45.3%, respectively). In addition, the highest mean PP of foals was observed in sera of foals of Balady horses (63%) followed by foals of donkeys (51.9 %) and foals of Arabic horses (43%). These results may be attributed to the environmental contamination as donkeys and Balady horses usually in direct contact with cattle farms. In addition, Mean PP of L. Hardjo of apparently healthy individuals, FUO patients, meningitis patients and aborted women was 18.05, 19.02, 15.70 and 31.1%, respectively and it revealed that apparently healthy individuals, FUO patients and meningitis patients were found to be negative for L. Hardjo infection while aborted women were found to be inconclusive for L. Hardjo infection. Absence of L. Hardjo in human sera dose not means that the zoonotic transmission does not occur. Based on the obtained results in the current study, it was clear that equine were considered to be potential reservoirs for L. Hardjo that might constitute a zoonotic risk for human contacts. Although examined human serum samples were found to be negative for L. Hardjo infection, the zoonotic hazard must not be neglected and further future studies should be carried out to highlight the zoonotic importance of L. Hardjo. Moreover, indirect ELISA seemed to be screening test to detect L. Hardjo infection in farm animals and human.
Key words: L. Hardjo, Equine, Human, Serology, indirect ELISA
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