With over one million cases worldwide annually and a high fatality in symptomatic forms, human leptospirosis is a growing public health concern for the most vulnerable populations, especially in the context of global warming and unplanned urbanization.Although the Asia-Pacific region is particularly affected, accurate epidemiological data are often lacking.We conducted an eleven-year retrospective laboratory-based epidemiological survey of human leptospirosis in New Caledonia.
From 2006 Shaving Razor Blades to 2016, 904 cases were laboratory-confirmed, including 29 fatalities, corresponding to 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 Stock 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.The epidemiological pattern showed a marked seasonality with an annual peak in March-April.
Interestingly, the seasonal peak in children of school age was significantly earlier and corresponded to school holidays, suggesting that attending school from February on could protect children from environment-borne leptospirosis.