Abstract
A serological survey was performed with M.A.T. on the maintenance staff of water ways and public works and lock keepers to study the occupational hazards of leptospirosis.
The target population was 58 professional people, 40 working on French rivers and 18 on a channel in the same western area of France. When we compared serological tests between these two groups, no significant difference appeared. But when we linked fish handling to close contact with water, we found a higher number of positive tests in the channel group than in the rivers group (P < 0.01). We conclude that people working on the channel were susceptible to unnoticed Leptospira infection.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andre-Fontaine G., Boukerrou A. and Ganiere J.P. (1987): Serological survey of leptospiral antibodies in aborted cows from Loire-Atlantique (France). In Proceedings of the Fifth Meeting of European Leptospira Workers. Trop. & Geographical Med. 39 suppl. (N° 1), S5.
Andre-Fontaine G., Ganiere J.P. and Quiniou M.A. (1988): Sérologie des leptospiroses animales: le test de microagglutination (M.A.T.) qualités analytiques comparées de la technique à lecture directe en microplaques et de la technique en plaques à lecture sur lame. Bull. Lab. Vét. 29/30, 63–74.
Andre-Fontaine G. and Ganiere J.P. (1990): New topics in Leptospirosis. Comp. Immunol. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 13 (3): 163–168.
Andre-Fontaine G., Harousseau H., Ganiere J.P. and Quiniou M.A. (1988): Leptospirose: prévalence sérologique chez les donneurs de sang. Med. Mal. Inf. 12: 877–880.
Anonyme (1985): Leptospirose humaine. Wkly Epidem. Rec. 32: 9, 248–250.
Anonyme (1986): Leptospirose humaine. Wkly Epidemic. Rec. 39: 301–302.
Anonyme (1986): Leptospira hazard to humans. Vet. Rec. 11: 541.
Anonyme (1988): VI meeting of the European Leptospire Workers. BRNO.
Arimitsu Y., Kobayashi S., Matuhasi T., Suzuki H., Yamaji Y., Suprasert S. and Supawadee J. (1987): Epidemiological studies on leptospirosis in Chiang Mai (Thailand) Epidem. Inf. 98: 97–100.
Banff E., Castagnari L. and Cinco M. (1989): Serosurvey of Leptospira agglutinins among railway employees in the national railway compartments of Bologna and Venice - Eur. J. Epidemiol. 5, 4: 468–473.
Bourrier Ph., Chennebault J.M., Achard J., Barrier J., Becq-Giraudon B., Niyongabo Th. and Weinbreck P. (1988): Leptospiroses: analyse retrospective de 99 cas observés en 10 ans dans le Centre-Ouest de la France* - Méd. Mal. Inf. 1: 4–8.
Canu P., Duval G., Arvin-Berod C. and Michault A. (1990): Forme pulmonaire inhabituelle de leptospirose ictero-hémorragique à type de condensation pulmonaire isolée d'allure pneumonique - Méd. Mal. Infec. 20, 1: 38–39.
Cinco M., Banff E., Tagliabue S. and Pacciarini L. (1990): Leptospira hardjo in Italy: absence of human infection. Leptospirosis research conference, 24–26 sept. 1990, Matsuyama - Japan.
Demers R. Y., Frank R., Demers P. and Clay M. (1985): Leptospiral exposure in Detroit rodent control workers - Am. J. of Public Health. 75: 9, 1090–1091.
Desmarchelier P.M. (1987): Human leptospirosis in New South Wales, 1975–1985 - Med. J. of Australia. 146: 6, 353–357.
Duval G., Lemahieu J.M., Michault A., Leroyer C., Chuet C. and Genin R. (1988): La leptospirose humaine à l'Ile de la Réunion. A propos de 82 cas -Méd. Mal. Infec. 2: 80–84.
Ellis W.A., McParland P.J., Bryson D.G. and Cassels J.A. (1986): Prevalence of Leptospira infection in aborted pigs in Northern Ireland - Vet. Rec. 118: 63–65.
EverardC.O.R., HayesR.J.. and EdwardsC.N. (1989): Leptospiral infection in school-children from Trinidad and Barbados - Epidem. Inf. 103: 143–156.
GeninR., CremouxA., Fen ChongM., ServeauxM.O., MartiB. and DuvalG. (1987): Leptospiroses ictérohémorragiques: intérêt de l'établissement d'un score pronostique - La Presse Médicale, 28: 16, 1374–1375.
HartmanE.G., FrankenP., BokhoutB.A. and PeterseD.J. (1989): Leptospirose bij runderen; melkerskoorts bij de veehouders - Tijdschr. Diergeneeskd. 114: 3, 131–135.
HeidtG.A., HargerC., HargerH. and McChesneyT. C. (1985): Serological study of selected disease antibodies in Arkansas - Furbearer trappers, a high risk group - J. of Arkansas Med. Soc. 82: 6, 265–267.
KingscoteB.F. (1986): Leptospirosis: an occupational hazard to veterinarians - Can. Vet. J. 27: 78–81.
LecourH., MirandaM., Magroc., RochaA. and GonçalvesY. (1989): Human leptospirosis — a review of 50 cases - Infection, 17: 1, 8–12.
McCollK.A. and WhittingtonR.J. (1985): Leptospiral titres in wild platypuses (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) in New South Wales - Aust. Vet. J. 62: 2, 66–67.
Palit A., Hosking C., Creati L. Morton J. and Faine S. (1990): Leptospirosis in dairy farmers of Western Victoria, Australia. Leptospirosis research conference, 24–26 sept. 1990, Matsuyama - Japan.
PereiraM.M. and AndradeJ. (1990): Human leptospirosis in a slum area in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A serological and epidemiological study - Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, 85 (1): 47–25.
SkilbeckN.W. and MillerG.T. (1986): A serological survey of leptospirosis in Gippsland dairy farmers -Med. J. of Aust. 144: 565–567.
SongerJ.G. and ThiermannA.B. (1988): Leptospirosis- JAVMA, 193: 10, 1250–1254.
TwiggG.I. and GuerdenC.M. (1966): Leptospirosis in British mammals: initial survey results - J. of Zoology, 150: 494–498.
WaitkinsS.A.WanyanguS. and PalmerM. (1985): The coypu as a rodent reservoir of leptosira infection in Great Britain - J. Hyg. Camb. 95: 409–417.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Andre-Fontaine, G., Peslerbe, X. & Ganiere, J.P. Occupational hazard of unnoticed leptospirosis in water ways maintenance staff. Eur J Epidemiol 8, 228–232 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00144805
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00144805