Apparently high Leptospira antibody seropositivity in donkeys for slaughter in three municipalities in Durango, Mexico

We determined the seropositive percentage and the determinants of Leptospira exposure in domestic donkeys presented for slaughter in the State of Durango, Mexico. We examined 194 donkeys in 4 gathering premises. Sera of donkeys were analyzed for anti-Leptospira IgG antibodies using a microscopic agglutination assay with a panel of 7 Leptospira antigens. The association between Leptospira seropositivity and general characteristics of donkeys was assessed by bivariate and multivariate analyses. Antibodies against Leptospira (for at least 1 of the 7 Leptospira serovars examined) were found in 151 of 194 (77.8%) donkeys. Seropositive donkeys were found in all regions, municipalities, and premises examined. The predominant serovar was L. interrogans Icterohaemorrhagiae (n = 117; 60.3%), followed by L. interrogans Sejroe (n = 96; 49.5%), L. interrogans Canicola (n = 10; 5.2%), L. kirschneri Grippotyphosa (n = 6; 3.1%), L. borgpetersenii Ballum (n = 5; 2.6 %), L. biflexa Semaranga (n = 3; 1.5%), and L. noguchii Panama (n = 2; 1%). Leptospira seropositivity was associated with gathering premises (OR = 2.64; 95% CI: 1.27–5.46; p = 0.009) and municipalities (OR = 0.11; 95% CI: 0.01–0.78; p = 0.02). Our results demonstrate an apparently high seropositive percentage of Leptospira infection in the donkeys studied in Mexico.