Files and links (1)
Published (Version of Record)CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Leptospirosis in the Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) in Australia: Who Is Infecting Whom?
Animals (Basel), Vol.14(19), 2834
2024
Abstract
The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is an amphibious, egg-laying mammal of high conservation value that is found only in Australia. The zoonotic bacterium Leptospira interrogans serovar Hardjo was discovered in platypuses in prior studies, but little is known about its epidemiology. Samples in the Platypus Serum Bank were tested in 2023 and the results were combined with historical records. Antibodies against L. interrogans serovar Hardjo were found in 50% of 464 serum samples from 411 platypuses collected from 14 river basins in southeastern Australia between 1981 and 2012; prevalence remained high over three decades in the Shoalhaven River population. Seroprevalence increased with age, suggesting environmental exposure. Individual platypuses had persistent titres, some for six years. Seropositive females lactated, juveniles were recruited into the population, and there were no reports of clinical leptospirosis. Three necropsied platypuses were seropositive and had mild nephritis with leptospires in the renal tubules. The high seroprevalence, persistent titres, lack of disease, mild renal lesions, and renal colonisation suggest the platypus may be a maintenance host. Sympatric cattle had L. interrogans serovar Hardjo titres, but the spatial association was statistically weak. Other mammalian wildlife species and sheep also have L. interrogans serovar Hardjo titres; therefore, a complex ecological network must be considered. A landscape-wide study is recommended to properly assess transmission pathways and confirm who is infecting whom.
Details
- Title
- Leptospirosis in the Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) in Australia: Who Is Infecting Whom?
- Authors/Creators
- Richard J. Whittington - The University of SydneyThomas R. Grant - Environmental Earth SciencesJarrad McKercher - Edith Cowan UniversityMonica Suann - New South Wales Department of Primary IndustriesKeith HartKathrine A. Handasyde - The University of MelbourneJames Macgregor - Murdoch UniversityMark E. Westman - The University of SydneyJoanne H. Connolly - Charles Sturt University
- Publication Details
- Animals (Basel), Vol.14(19), 2834
- Publisher
- MDPI
- Identifiers
- 991005707149707891
- Copyright
- © 2024 by the authors
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
Metrics
17 File views/ downloads
50 Record Views