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Veterinary bacteriology: information about important bacteria
Veterinary bacteriology


Species/Subspecies: Leptospira interrogans
Categories: Zoonotic; motile; notifiable diseases and bacteria
Etymology: Genus name: thin helix (coil).
Species epithet: interrogation (refers to the shape resembling a question mark).
Significance:Leptospirosis is said to be the most wide spread zoonotic infection in Nature.
  [Important]   
Taxonomy:
Phylum
Spirochaetota
Class
Spirochaetia
Order
Leptospirales
Family
Leptospiraceae 
Genus
Leptospira
Type Strain: Serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae, RGA = ATCC 23581.
Macromorphology (smell):
Micromorphology: "Sewing thread thin" (0.1 x 6-12 µm), helical and with a hook on each end. Motile and has two periplasmic flagella.
Gram +/Gram -:G-
Metabolism: Aerobic
Catalase/Oxidase:+/+
Fermentation of carbohydrates: Does not ferment karbohydrates.
Spec. Char.: Generation time: 6-8 h. Optimal growth temperature: 28-30°C.
Disease:Leptospirosis, which is a zoonosis.
Hosts: Dog, cattle and pig etc. as well as humans.
Clinical Picture: Fever, renal and hepatic insufficiency as well as pulmonary manifestations and reproductive failure.
Genome Sequence:
Acc-noStrainSize (bp)Genome
AE016823 and AE016824 Fiocruz L1-130 (Serovar Copenhageni) 4 627 366 2c + 0 
Chrom I (4.277.185 bp) and chrom. II (350 181 bp), respectively.

16S rRNA Seq.:
Acc-noStrainNumber of NTOperon
Z12817 Serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae, RGAT 1 396 
Two rRNA genes on chrom. I and none on chrom. II.

Taxonomy/phylogeny:
 
About 25 different species have been described within the genus Leptispira. L. interrogans is closely related to L. kirschneri. See the phylogenetic tree (Fig. 116:1).
Legislation: Leptospirosis is notifyable in Sweden
Comment:There are 23 different serogroups, which in turn are divided into about 250 different serovars. Icterohaemorrhagiae and Bratislava are important serovars. From a clinical point of view, the serovar is more important than the species as pathogenicity is associated with serovar, rather than species and different species may belong to the same serovar.
Reference(s): No. 6, 36, 41, 109, 139
Link: The Leptospirosis Information Center
Updated:2023-03-08

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