Recent leptospira isolates from Tamil Nadu

Twelve leptospira isolates were successfully isolated from various sources like, dead white albino mice (Mus musculus), dead wistar rats (strain of Ra ttus norvegicus) field and house rats, sheep and ailing human urine Samples . All the isolates were identified, at serovar level by monoclonal antibody methods with the help of reference laboratory, Amsterdam. Isolates from mi ce (1/45), wistar rats (6/13), house,rat (1/1), sheep (1/18) acid field rat s (1/32) were typed as serovar javanica of the serogroup Javanica and the 2 human isolate (2/4) were identified as serovar autumnalis and canicola res pectively. By animal pathogenicity study for the above isolates it was foun d that the house rat isolate and the human isolates were. virulent in natur e and they killed the inoculated guineapigs, while the mice isolate was hav ing moderate virulence. None of the isolates from wistar rats, sheep and fi eld rats were virulent.