Detection of leptospiral antibodies in caimans from the Argentine chaco

Antibodies to zoonotic disease found in ranched caimans from Argentina

source: C.A.Rossetti et al
Venterinary Record vol 153 no 20, November 15 2003
starts p632, 2 pages long

Antibodies to leptospirosis have been found in caimans from a ranch in Argentina, where eggs from wild caimans are incubated. Antibodies were found in 67 caimans of a total of 83 samples, or 81%. Other studies have identified reptiles as harbouring leptospirosis, but no study has previously found antibodies to this disease in the crocodile family. The caimans may have become infected through the water supply, which came from an outdoor tank that was not covered. Humans can suffer from leptospirosis, and further research is needed to assess the significance of this finding.
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