- Study on Seroprevalence and Leptospiral Antibody Distribution among High-risk Planters in Malaysia
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J. Mohd Ridzuan, B.D. Aziah, W.M. Zahiruddin
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Osong Public Health Res Perspect. 2016;7(3):168-171. Published online June 30, 2016
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrp.2016.04.006
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 Abstract
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- Objectives
To determine the leptospirosis seroprevalence and to identify the predominant infecting serovars among oil palm plantation workers.
Methods
The cross-sectional study involved 350 asymptomatic oil palm plantation workers in Melaka and Johor. A serological test using the microscopic agglutination test was conducted in the Institute of Medical Research with a cut-off titre for seropositivity of ≥1:100.
Results
The overall seroprevalence of leptospiral antibodies was 28.6%. The job category with the highest seroprevalence was the fruit collector with 59.2%. The predominant serovar identified was serovar Sarawak (Lepto 175) (62%).
Conclusion
A high seroprevalence of leptospiral antibodies was detected among oil palm plantation workers and specifically among fruit collectors. The predominant infecting serovar among the workers was serovar Sarawak (Lepto 175). The findings suggest that more studies are needed to determine the reasons for the high seroprevalence and the transmission and pathogenicity of the local serovar Sarawak (Lepto 175).
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