Overview
- Infection with any pathogenic strain of leptospira
will induce an antibody response in the dog. - Important aid in the diagnosis of leptospirosis but as for serological tests in all infectious diseases, results must be interpreted in the light of clinical signs and depending on the test method and vaccination history.
- Detection of a rising titer (samples collected 3 weeks apart) may help confirm a putative diagnosis but absence of a rising titer does not rule it out.
- Negative titers make leptospirosis unlikely except in acute cases where antibodies may not have appeared yet (10 days from infection).
- Zoonosis.
Uses
Alone
- Support for a diagnosis of acute or chronic leptospirosis.
- Repeat blood samples collected at approximately 14-21 days intervals may provide further useful diagnostic information.
Disadvantages
- Variable results depending on when sample collection occurs in relation to onset of clinical signs.
- Positive titers may occur in dogs exposed to leptospires but not suffering from leptospiral disease.
- Certain test methods may give positive test results from vaccination alone
Alternatives
- PCR testing of urine or tissue samples provides further supporting evidence, although a positive result by any specific technique in association with compatible clinical signs is useful in raising the index of suspicion of leptospira related disease.
Result data
Normal (reference) values
- Positive test results confirm the presence of specific antibodies to leptospira.
- Higher titers may be more consistent with recent or active infection.
" Lower MAT titers may be due to vaccination alone.
" Results depend on timing of blood sampling in relation to stage of clinical infection. Repeat sampling may provide further evidence of or assist in ruling out leptospira related disease.
Sources
Publications
Refereed papers
- Recent references from PubMed.
- Burr P D, Lunn K, Yam P S (2009) Current perspectives on canine leptospirosis.
In Practice
31 , 98-102.
Other sources of information
- Infectious Diseases of the Dog and Cat. (1998) Greene C E (ed), W B Saunders.
- Laboratory Procedures for Veterinary Technicians. (1997) 3rd edn, Pratt P W (ed), Mosby.
