Introduction:

Leptospirosis is an infectious disease caused by pathogenic Leptospira sp. bacteria. It affects a large number of mammals, including humans, and is considered to be one of the most widely distributed zoonotic diseases worldwide.

Objective:

Determine the seroprevalence of antibodies against Leptospira spp. and the risk factors associated to leptospirosis in some pig populations from Portoviejo.

Methods:

A descriptive study was conducted from October 2018 to March 2019 of pigs raised in parishes from Portoviejo Canton in Manabí, Ecuador. A total 280 blood samples were collected (115 from pigs raised technically and 165 from pigs raised in backyards), 140 in the rainy season (January-March) and 140 in the dry season (October-December), so that the samples were representative of the two seasons. Serological diagnosis was performed with the microscopic agglutination test.

Results:

In technical breeding, seroprevalence was 16.52% (19/115), whereas in backyard breeding it was 20.61% (34/165). It was most common in serovars Australis and Icterohaemorrhagiae, with 14.28% (40/280), respectively, and Bataviae with 13.21% (37/280). Risk associated to Leptospira infection was greater in sows, in pig populations which drank river water, and in areas where wild rodent control was not present.

Conclusions:

Seroprevalence of antibodies against Leptospira spp. was moderate in technical and backyard pig raising populations, but it is a potential hazard for the human population exposed. In both breeding systems, the most common serovars were Australis, Icterohaemorrhagiae and Bataviae.

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