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Background Leptospirosis is a potentially life-threatening but curable zoonosis whose prognosis depends on accurate and timely diagnosis. Because of its non-specific clinical presentation, laboratory testing is essential to confirm the diagnosis. Here, we aimed to assess the performance of two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) (ELISA Serion and ELISA-Hb Pasteur) and one immunodot (GenBio) using quantitative PCR (qPCR) as gold standard, instead of the traditional microscopic agglutination test, for the diagnosis of acute leptospirosis in an endemic area. Methodology/Principal findings Between January 2011 and December 2012, a total of 122 patients were diagnosed with leptospirosis, as confirmed by qPCR at the University Hospital of Martinique. Among them, 103 had at least one serum sample available for analysis. Performance of each serological assay was evaluated according to days' post onset of symptoms (DPO) and local species diversity (which included L. santarosai, L. interrogans, L. kirschneri, L. borgpetersenii, L. noguchii, and L. kmetyi). Several thresholds were tested to optimize accuracy. When considering the manufacturer's threshold, the sensitivity of ELISA Serion, ELISA-Hb Pasteur and GenBio immunodot was 75%, 67% and 64%, while specificity was 92%, 98% and 100%, respectively. Moreover, the threshold optimization allowed a significant improvement in specificity for the ELISA Serion from 92% to 99% (p, Author summary Leptospirosis is a ubiquitous zoonosis caused by spirochetes. This infection is responsible for a wide range of symptoms mimicking many other diseases. Laboratory tests are thus essential to confirm the diagnosis. Furthermore, earlier diagnosis helps to prevent severe outcomes by a prompt initiation of antibiotic therapy. In early phase, quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) was proved to be more efficient than the traditional microagglutination test (MAT), which remains the ‘gold standard’ for diagnosis of leptospirosis. However, both tests are seldom available in resource-limited settings, where leptospirosis burden is highest. To find a suitable alternative to qPCR and MAT in the early phase (i.e., within the first 2 weeks) of the disease, we compared 3 serological assays (2 ELISAs plus one immunodot) using sera collected from patients with a qPCR-confirmed diagnosis of leptospirosis. This work reveals high performances for all serological assays after (but not before) 6 days’ post onset of symptoms, regardless of the species studied. Excellent specificity, as found after threshold optimization, suggests that these tests could useful in high prevalence areas.

Background Leptospirosis is one of the most important neglected tropical bacterial diseases in Latin America and the Caribbean. However, very little is known about the circulating etiological agents of leptospirosis in this region. In this study, we describe the serological and molecular features of leptospires isolated from 104 leptospirosis patients in Guadeloupe (n = 85) and Martinique (n = 19) and six rats captured in Guadeloupe, between 2004 and 2012. Methods and Findings Strains were studied by serogrouping, PFGE, MLVA, and sequencing 16SrRNA and secY. DNA extracts from blood samples collected from 36 patients in Martinique were also used for molecular typing of leptospires via PCR. Phylogenetic analyses revealed thirteen different genotypes clustered into five main clades that corresponded to the species: L. interrogans, L. kirschneri, L. borgpetersenii, L. noguchi, and L. santarosai. We also identified L. kmetyi in at least two patients with acute leptospirosis. This is the first time, to our knowledge, that this species has been identified in humans. The most prevalent genotypes were associated with L. interrogans serovars Icterohaemorrhagiae and Copenhageni, L. kirschneri serovar Bogvere, and L. borgpetersenii serovar Arborea. We were unable to identify nine strains at the serovar level and comparison of genotyping results to the MLST database revealed new secY alleles. Conclusions The overall serovar distribution in the French West Indies was unique compared to the neighboring islands. Typing of leptospiral isolates also suggested the existence of previously undescribed serovars., Author Summary Leptospirosis is an emerging zoonotic disease caused by infection with pathogenic strains of Leptospira. Isolation of Leptospira strains is rare, making it difficult to assess their distribution worldwide. In this study, we characterized cultures of Leptospira obtained from more than one hundred leptospirosis patients from the French West Indies by serology and various molecular typing methods to identify the strains circulating in this endemic region. Typing of leptospiral isolates showed that causative agents of leptospirosis in the French West Indies are mainly from the serogroups Icterohaemorrhagiae and Ballum, but we also identified new genotypes. We also found that the distribution of the predominant pathogenic leptospiral serovars differed between the Caribbean islands. A better understanding of the epidemiology of leptospirosis will improve our knowledge in the distribution of this emerging neglected tropical disease worldwide. The identification of the circulating etiological agents of leptospirosis in the French West Indies will also help establish appropriate control and prevention measures in this area where the disease is endemic.