Diagnostic methods for the detection of leptospira spp.

In biological samples

Abstract

Leptospirosis is a bacterial zoonoses distributed worldwide. It can undertake any animal
species, maintaining the agent in the nature via renal chronical infection of carriers animals,
which can secrete the organism through the urine into the environment, being able to infect
other animals and the human. Regarding Leptospira spp., diagnostic techniques have helped
understand important eco-epidemiological aspects such as environmental serovar distribution
and new hosts, in addition to improve the clinical diagnosis of the disease. This review focuses
on present diverse techniques used in leptospirosis diagnosis to biological samples, including
some studies on practical applications for the molecular detection of Leptospira spp.,
reinforcing the importance of the knowledge and the choice of the correct technique in the
diagnosis of the disease.