1. Age-specific epidemiology of human leptospirosis in New Caledonia, 2006-2016.
- Author
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Klement-Frutos E, Tarantola A, Gourinat AC, Floury L, and Goarant C
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Asia epidemiology, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Infant, Leptospira genetics, Leptospirosis blood, Leptospirosis microbiology, Leptospirosis pathology, Male, Middle Aged, New Caledonia epidemiology, Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction, Retrospective Studies, Serogroup, Young Adult, Age Factors, Leptospira pathogenicity, Leptospirosis epidemiology
- Abstract
With over one million cases worldwide annually and a high fatality in symptomatic forms, human leptospirosis is a growing public health concern for the most vulnerable populations, especially in the context of global warming and unplanned urbanization. Although the Asia-Pacific region is particularly affected, accurate epidemiological data are often lacking. We conducted an eleven-year retrospective laboratory-based epidemiological survey of human leptospirosis in New Caledonia. From 2006 to 2016, 904 cases were laboratory-confirmed, including 29 fatalities, corresponding to an average annual incidence of 30.6/100,000 and a case fatality rate of 3.2%. Over the period, there was a major shift from indirect serological diagnosis by MAT to direct diagnosis by real-time PCR, a more specific and sensitive test when performed early in the course of the disease. The systematic implementation of genotyping informed on the variety of the infective strains involved, with a predominance of serogroups Icterohaemorrhagiae and Pyrogenes. The epidemiological pattern showed a marked seasonality with an annual peak in March-April. Interestingly, the seasonal peak in children of school age was significantly earlier and corresponded to school holidays, suggesting that attending school from February on could protect children from environment-borne leptospirosis., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
- Published
- 2020
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