SURVEY ON LEPTOSPIRA SPP INFECTION IN RAT SPECIES IN INDONESIA

Abstract

Rats are the main reservoir of leptospirosis and play an important role in maintaining the Leptospira life cycle in nature. This study aimed to update the data on leptospirosis-confirmed rats in various ecosystems in Indonesia. The study was conducted from 2015 to 2018 in 29 provinces in Indonesia. The rat survey was carried out for three consecutive days using live traps with roasted-coconut as the bait. The locations of the rat survey were forests near settlements, forests far settlements, non-forests near and far settlements (rice fields, fields, gardens, and others), and coastal areas near and far settlements. Leptospira spp were detected in the kidneys of rats by the PCR method. The results of the study showed that of 9,161 rats, 2,310 from 35 species are confirmed to have leptospirosis. The dominant species of rat infected with leptospirosis in Indonesia consisted of eight types: Rattus tanezumi (n=1,623), R. tiomanicus (n=660), R. norvegicus (n=313), R. exulans (n=154), R. argentiventer (n=66), Bandicota indica (n=11), Mus caroli (n=15), and M. musculus (n=2). This study has also found that 27 other endemic rat species are confirmed positive for Leptospira: 14 species in western Indonesia, eight species in middle Indonesia, and five species in eastern Indonesia. Many rats were infected with Leptospira in ecosystems adjacent to the settlement (less than 3 kilometers) and the coastal areas.