Ann Infect Dis Epidemiol | Volume 5, Issue 1 | Research Article | Open Access

Human Leptospirosis in New Caledonia: Epidemiology, Laboratory Diagnostic Changes and Microbiology Patterns from 2006 to 2016, and Comparison with Previous and Regional Findings

Elise Klement-Frutos^1,2*, Arnaud Tarantola², Ann-Claire Gourinat³, Ludovic Floury⁴ and Cyrille Goarant²

¹Department of Infectieuses Tropicales, Centre Hospital Territorial de Nouvelle Calédonie, France ²Department of Infectieuses Tropicales, Institute Pasteur de Nouvelle Calédonie, France ³Department of Microbiology, Centre Hospital Territorial de Nouvelle Calédonie, France ⁴Department of Infectieuses Tropicales, DASS de Nouvelle Calédonie, France

^*Correspondance to: Elise Klement-Frutos 

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Abstract

With over one million cases worldwide yearly and high fatality in symptomatic forms, human leptospirosis is a growing public health concern for the most vulnerable populations, especially in the global warming and uncontrolled urbanization context. Although the Asia-Pacific region is particularly affected, accurate epidemiological data are lacking. We conducted an eleven-year retrospective laboratory-based epidemiological survey in New Caledonia and compared our results with previous and regional data. From 2006 until 2016, we identified 904 cases, affecting mostly young males. We observed a clear seasonality with an annual peak in March-April. Our results demonstrate that leptospirosis remains highly endemic in New Caledonia with an average annual incidence of 30.6/100 000 and a case fatality rate of 3.2%. Over the period, there was a major shift from indirect serological diagnosis by MAT to direct diagnosis by real-time PCR, a more specific and sensitive test when performed early in the course of the disease. The systematic implementation of genotyping informed on the variety of the infective strains involved, with a predominance of serogroups Icterohaemorrhagiae and Pyrogenes. This time series showcases the trends of leptospirosis biological diagnosis to modern molecular approaches with an impact on epidemiological surveillance.

Keywords:

Leptospirosis; Weil disease; New caledonia; Pacific islands; Polymerase chain reaction; Melanesia

Citation:

Klement-Frutos E, Tarantola A, Gourinat A-C, Floury L, Goarant C. Human Leptospirosis in New Caledonia: Epidemiology, Laboratory Diagnostic Changes and Microbiology Patterns from 2006 to 2016, and Comparison with Previous and Regional Findings. Ann Infect Dis Epidemiol. 2020; 5(1): 1048.