Leptospirosis is a zoonosis caused by a bacteria belonging to genus Leptospira and to the spicies L. interrogans which has more than 200 different serovars. The principal infection source of this disease are rodents, such as the rat and the mouse. Among domestic animals, swine are the principal reservoirs of leptospires. These animals eliminate the bacteria through the urine infecting water, soil and foods, which are the principal ways of transmission of the disease. The semen of infected bulls also can transmit the bacterium through eigther natural service or artificial insemination. The suscetibility of the cattle vary according to several factors such as age, physiological state, utilization and populational density. In the American Continent, the predominant serovars of this species are hardjo, pomona and grippotyphosa. The prevalence varies among herds, regions and countries.
cattle; epidemiology; leptospirosis