Leptospiral antibodies in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in northwest Croatia

In the year 2000 sera of 59 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from northwest Croatia were tested for antibodies against 12 Leptospira interrogans serovars: grippotyphosa, sejroe, australis, pomona, canicola, icterohaemorrhagiae, tarassovi, saxkoebing, ballum, bataviae, poi and hardjo. Using the microscopic agglutination test in 34 sera ( 57.6%) of 59, leptospira antibodies were found for 11 serovars, for the most part the serovar australis, then (in decreasing order) for the serovars sejroe, icterohaemorrhagiae, grippotyphosa and saxkoebing. Results show strong correlation with previous results of seroepidemiology and isolation of leptospira from small mammals in northwest Croatia. The role of red foxes as a maintaining leptospira reservoir in natural foci of leptospirosis is still a matter of question and should be further investigated.