Category Research project
  • Mikrobiologie

Pathogen behaviour and epidemiology of Leptospira

Project status
Completed
Project start
2020
Project end
Jun 2022
Acronym
RoboPub 2
Department
Biologische Sicherheit

Description and Objective

In this project, studies for a better understanding of leptospiral infections with regard to the interaction of pathogen, rodent, environmental and diagnostic-related aspects are to be carried out and implemented in measures of the public health service (ÖGD). In this context, four main areas of work (AS) are planned, which are divided into studies on the prevalence and spatial distribution of Leptospira kirschneri in rodent populations (AS1), studies to identify genetic virulence-associated factors (AS2) and seroprevalence studies in different risk groups (AS3) . The aim is to bring the generated data together in a final step in order to develop management strategies and health recommendations that enable a reduction in the exposureExposureTo glossary risk for humans and a resulting improvement in public health (AS6).

Result

During the second funding phase, molecular biological studies on rodents and cultivation from rodents were completed. In the context of the cooperation with the University of Potsdam, 22 rodent kidneys from striped field mice (Apodemus agrarius, n = 3), yellow-necked mice (Apodemus flavicollis, n = 9), bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus, n = 9) and a common vole (Microtus arvalis) were obtained from the Wildpark Nord, Botanischer Garten Potsdam and Drachenberg. One isolate (20-LE00006, L. kirschneri) was obtained from a kidney of a striped field mouse (A. agrarius) that was positive in both qPCR and culture. This and other isolates from Germany were sequenced and a comparative genome analysis was subsequently performed.
Furthermore, serological testing of the serum samples sent by the Niedersächsisches Landesgesundheitsamt (NLGA) was completed in the second funding phase. A total of 620 sera were analyzed by BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment in-house ELISA during the second funding phase. Here, 91.8% of the samples were negative, 4.8% were in the questionable range and 3.4% of the samples were positive. In a comparison of different serological methods (ELISA (in-house and commercial), MAT, rapid test), the ELISA test methods seemed to be slightly superior to MAT in overall sensitivity.
Type of project

Third-party funded project

Research focus

Expositionsabschätzung und Bewertung biologischer Risiken

Organisational units and partners

Lead specialist group: Diagnostik, Erregercharakterisierung, Parasiten in Lebensmitteln (45)
Contact persons: Dr. Anne Mayer-Scholl, Dr. Martin Richter
External partner: Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institut für neue und neuartige Tierseuchenerreger, Niedersächisches Landesamt für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit, Niedersächsisches Landesgesundheitsamt, Universität Leipzig

Funding body and grant number

Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
01Kl1721B, GF

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