Sarah K Helman, Amanda F N Tokuyama, Riley O Mummah, Nathan E Stone, Mason W Gamble, Celine E Snedden, Benny Borremans, Ana C R Gomez, Caitlin Cox, Julianne Nussbaum, Isobel Tweedt, David A Haake, Renee L Galloway, Javier Monzón, Seth P D Riley, Jeff A Sikich, Justin Brown, Anthony Friscia, Jason W Sahl, David M Wagner, Jessica W Lynch, Katherine C Prager, James O Lloyd-Smith
Leptospirosis, the most widespread zoonotic disease in the world, is broadly understudied in multi-host wildlife systems. Knowledge gaps regarding Leptospira circulation in wildlife, particularly in densely populated areas, contribute to frequent misdiagnoses in humans and domestic animals. We assessed Leptospira prevalence levels and risk factors in five target wildlife species across the greater Los Angeles region: striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), raccoons (Procyon lotor), coyotes (Canis latrans), Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana), and fox squirrels (Sciurus niger)...
September 1, 2023: Scientific Reports