The region of Antioquia in northeastern Colombia has the highest number of reported leptospirosis cases in the
country. It also shows high seroprevalence indexes in the general population and socio-environmental conditions
favourable for the transmission of the disease between humans and animals. In this study, 25
Leptospira isolates
from Colombia’s Antioquia department were identified to the species level as
L. santarosai (12),
L. interrogans
(9)
and
L. meyeri
(4) using phylogenetic analysis of the Amidohydrolase gene. Typing at the serovar level was performed
using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and monoclonal antibodies. The serovars Canalzonae, Babudieri, Alice,
Beye, and Copenhageni have been identified as causing human or animal infections in Antioquia, Colombia. The
four environmental isolates were not identified to the serovar level.
L. santarosai serovar Canalzonae and Alice were
identified as new etiologic agents of human leptospirosis in Antioquia, Colombia. This paper reports species and
serovars that were previously unknown in the region.
