FIRST EPIDEMIOLOGIC DATA ON PATHOGENIC LEPTOSPIRES ISOLATED ON THE AZOREAN ISLANDS

Insectivores (Erinaceus eurapaeus) and rodents (Rattus rattus, R. norv egicus and Mus musculus) from different islands of the Azores Archipel ago were found to carry three distinct Leptospira interrogans s.l. ser ovars (copenhageni, icterohaemorrhagiae and ballum) which have never b een previously investigated there. The house mouse and the black rat w ere the major Leptospira reservoirs showing isolation rates ranging fr om 0% for both species (in Graciosa) to 88% and 33%, respectively (in Sao Miguel). This study also showed that the majority of the animals w ith positive kidney cultures exhibited specific agglutinins against th e isolated strains of Leptospira. The observed isolation rates in the different islands, with a very interesting island variation in prevale nce, suggest that small mammals, serving as sylvatic reservoirs of pat hogenic leptospires, may represent an important risk to the health of humans and livestock, particularly in the islands of Terceira and Sao Miguel.