1. Assistant professor, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of medicine, Lorestan University medical sciences

2. Assistant professor, Department of Immunology, Faculty of medicine, Lorestan University medical sciences

3. B.Sc of laboratory sciences, Lorestan University medical sciences

Abstract

Background: Leptospirosis is known to be an emerging infection and the most common zoonosiss of the world. The etiological agent of the disease is spirochetes, Leptospira interogans which infect more than 160 differ rent mammalian species including rodents, cattle, dogs and wild mammals. Clinical syndrome may vary from influenza – like syndrome with fever, headache and myalgia to sever Weils syndrome with jaundice, renal dysfunction and hemorrhagic diathesis. Human infection occurs accidentally through contact with contaminated water or animal materials. There are reports of high prevalence of leptospirosis in rice farm workers, probably acquired during work in paddy. Also there was evidence of leptospirosis in the Lorestan province. In this study, serum IgG and IgM antibody response to leptospira was examined in adult patients who visited Vaysian Health Centre during Shahrivar and October 1384,during the season of paddies. work in slug in

Materials and methods: About 8 patients visited the Health Center during the season who were examined for clinical symptoms and then a questionnaire was filled. About 5 ml of blood sample was taken, the serum was separated and freezed before being examined by ELISA thechnique.Serion Classic Leptospira IgG/IgM ELISA (Germany) was used and the results were calculated according to the instruction.

Results: From 80 patient who participated in this study, 39 (48.8%) had IgG antibody to leptospira and 41 (51.2%) were negative. From IgG positive patients,28 (35%) were IgM positive and 11(65%) were negative . Of the people who had antibody to leptospira 30 (76.92%) were male and 9 (23.08%) were female. The maximum age distribution was at the age of 41 and over this age. There was no correlation between consumption of water from well or springs and antibody to leptospira. Also there was no correlation between abortion or stillbirth in cattle or family and presence of antibody to leptospira in human.

Conclusion: Leptospirosis occur in the Lorestan which must be consider seriously. The infection occur at high rate among occupations who are particularly at risk including farmer who work in pay or who work and live with cattle. Given the facts that still 14% of villages are deprived from pipeline water system and the fact that Lorestan is a farm and cattle husbandry province and the number of cattle are far much exceeded the number of human, improvement in public health and diagnosis of leptospira is an urgent need.