Seroprevalence of Human Leptospirosis in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Authors

  • Dr. Sulakshana Sony Cheemala Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, India
  • Dr. Vijaya Swetha. Vuppalapati Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, India
  • Dr. N. Padma Priya Professor and Head, Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51168/8zj4jf79

Keywords:

Leptospirosis, seroprevalence, acute febrile illness, zoonosis, Andhra Pradesh, tertiary care, epidemiology

Abstract

Background: Leptospirosis is an important zoonotic cause of acute febrile illness in tropical regions, yet its local burden is frequently underestimated because clinical manifestations overlap with other infections and laboratory testing is not uniformly applied.

Objectives: To estimate Leptospira seroprevalence among tested patients at Government Medical College, Ongole, and describe its distribution by age, sex, patient category, residence, and month of sample collection.

Methods: A prospective, hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Government Medical College, Ongole, a tertiary-care teaching institution located in Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh, India, from 1 May 2025 to 30 April 2026. The institution serves patients from Ongole and the surrounding urban, peri-urban, and rural communities, including referrals from neighbouring districts. A total of 110 eligible patients undergoing Leptospira testing were consecutively included. Seroprevalence was calculated with an exact 95% confidence interval, and categorical associations were assessed using two-sided Fisher's exact tests.

Results: Among 110 individuals tested, 30 were seropositive, yielding a seroprevalence of 27.3% (95% CI: 19.2%-36.6%). The mean age was 10.9 ± 12.7 years, and 98 participants (89.1%) were younger than 16 years. Seropositivity was significantly higher among females than males (39.1% vs 18.8%; p=0.029). All seropositive cases were inpatients and residents of Prakasam district; positivity was 30.6% in Prakasam district versus 0% in other districts (p=0.034). Month-wise positivity varied from 0% to 50.0%, with the highest proportions observed in January and July.

Conclusion: Human leptospirosis represented a substantial proportion of tested patients in this tertiary-care setting. The one-year findings support continued diagnostic suspicion, timely laboratory evaluation of compatible febrile illness, and strengthened surveillance across the hospital catchment area.

Recommendations: Strengthened laboratory surveillance, complete recording of clinical and exposure variables, and year-round testing of clinically suspected cases are recommended. Larger multicentre prospective studies should characterize risk factors, diagnostic performance, disease severity, and outcomes.

Author Biographies

  • Dr. Sulakshana Sony Cheemala, Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, India

    is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, India. She is actively involved in undergraduate medical teaching, diagnostic microbiology, laboratory-based academic activities, and clinical research. Her areas of interest include bacteriology, infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, infection prevention and control, and medical microbiology research.

  • Dr. Vijaya Swetha. Vuppalapati, Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, India

    is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, India. She is engaged in undergraduate teaching, diagnostic microbiology services, academic research, and scientific writing. Her professional interests include clinical microbiology, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, infectious diseases, infection control, and laboratory medicine. She serves as the corresponding author of the present study.

  • Dr. N. Padma Priya, Professor and Head, Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, India

    is Professor and Head of the Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, India. She has substantial experience in medical education, diagnostic microbiology, academic administration, research supervision, and departmental leadership. Her academic interests include clinical microbiology, infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, infection prevention and control, laboratory quality practices, and mentorship of undergraduate and postgraduate research.

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Published

2026-09-30

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 3 (2026): September 2026 issue

Section

Section of Microbiology Research

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Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Sulakshana Sony Cheemala, Dr. Vijaya Swetha. Vuppalapati, Dr. N. Padma Priya

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Dr. Sulakshana Sony Cheemala, Swetha. Vuppalapati, V., & Priya. (2026). Seroprevalence of Human Leptospirosis in a Tertiary Care Hospital. Student’s Journal of Health Research Africa, 7(3), 8. https://doi.org/10.51168/8zj4jf79

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