ANTI-LEPTOSPIRA AGGLUTININS IN BLOOD DONORS

Abstract

Serum samples from 450 donated blood at the Hemocenter of the Clinical Hospital in the UNESP School of Medicine at Botucatu, SP, Brazil – were submitted to Microscopic Serumagglutination (SAM) exam for leptospirosis, and presented only six reactive samples (1.33%), presenting titer 100, with two reacting with the serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae (33.3%) and four with the serovar Panama (66.7%). Analysis of the epidemiological questionnaire applied to donors revealed the following findings: 54.6% of donors had maintained contact with animals, whether at work or with their pets, principally dogs and cats; 51.8% reported the presence of rats in their residence at some moment; 51.8% did not have the habit of boiling or filtering water prior to consumption; 39.2% had frequented ponds, streams and / or waterfalls; 18.2% did not rely on a sewer and water network, or on trash collection in their neighborhood; 8.4% did not habitually wash their hands after handling animals; 5.6% resided in locations subject to frequent flooding and 4.2% did not habitually wash their food before consuming it. Despite the low seroprevalence, an association of epidemiological factors was verified that shows the need for health education activities related principally to the environment including risk factors for transmission of leptospirosis to humans.