Background and objectives: Synanthropic rodents cohabiting with the human and livestock are potential reservoirs for several zoonotic pathogens, which include Leptospira spp, Yersinia spp, Salmonella and Toxoplasma spp. In view of the higher incidence of leptospirosis in human and animals, this study was carried out to analyse the role of rodents and shrews in the transmission of pathogenic Leptospira spp in Puducherry, India. Methods: The rodents/shrews were trapped at 15 randomly selected sites in Puducherry, using Sherman traps between July to December 2022. The DNA from the blood and kidney of the rodents was extracted individually. The presence of pathogenic Leptospira spp in the rodent DNA sample was screened by Real-time PCR, targeting the lipl32 gene. Further secY gene was amplified and analysed to identify the pathogenic Leptospira spp. Results: Five kidney DNA samples ( Rattus rattus = 1 and Suncus murinus = 4) were tested positive for Leptospira sp by Real time PCR. The BLAST, phylogeny and sequence alignment studies of secY gene indicated the circulation Leptospira borgpetersenii in the synanthropic rodents. Interpretations & conclusion: We first report, that the Suncus murinus , the Asian house shrew, has also been found harbouring the pathogenic Leptospira sp. The shrews and the black rat harbouring the pathogenic Leptospira sp in our study indicates that they are one among the key environmental determinants for Leptospirosis transmission to human and animals in Puducherry.
Devaraju et al. (2026) studied this question.