OBJECTIVE: Using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) from 2010-2012 for identifying leptospirosis-related and sociodemographic variables in patients having a confirmed diagnosis of dengue and those for whom it had been discarded. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study of 238 sera samples. 106 patients died, 64 of their samples were negative for dengue and 42 proved positive. 132 samples from live patients proved positive for dengue; 29 were confirmed by PCR and/or virus isolation and 103 had positive IgM readings. MAT was used for all sera and diagnosing Leptospira, epidemiological records were reviewed and the data was analysed. RESULTS: 42 dengue positive patients died; 3 (7%) were positive for Leptospira interrogans sero group Australis autumnalis (two girls aged 5 and 17 years-old and a 14 year-old boy). Of the 64 deceased patients who proved negative for dengue, 7 (11%) were found positive for L.interrogans from sero groups Pomona, Autumnalis, Canicola and Ballum (5 males aged 8 to 58 years-old and 2 women aged 35 and 56 years-old). Of the 103 living patients who proved positive for dengue IgM, 3 (2.9%) were positive for Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae from the Cynopteri, Javanica Proechimys and Autumnalis sero groups(1 male and 2 females). None of the 29 living patients confirmed as having dengue were positive for Leptospira. CONCLUSIONS: Leptospirosis should be suspected not only as the sole causative agent of febrile syndrome but also of co-infection which could compromise a patient and be related to mortality.
OBJECTIVE: Using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) from 2010-2012 for identifying leptospirosis-related and sociodemographic variables in patients having a confirmed diagnosis of dengue and those for whom it had been discarded. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study of 238 sera samples. 106 patients died, 64 of their samples were negative for dengue and 42 proved positive. 132 samples from live patients proved positive for dengue; 29 were confirmed by PCR and/or virus isolation and 103 had positive IgM readings. MAT was used for all sera and diagnosing Leptospira, epidemiological records were reviewed and the data was analysed. RESULTS: 42 dengue positive patients died; 3 (7%) were positive for Leptospira interroganssero group Australis autumnalis (two girls aged 5 and 17 years-old and a 14 year-old boy). Of the 64 deceased patients who proved negative for dengue, 7 (11%) were found positive for L.interrogans from sero groups Pomona, Autumnalis, Canicola and Ballum (5 males aged 8 to 58 years-old and 2 women aged 35 and 56 years-old). Of the 103 living patients who proved positive for dengue IgM, 3 (2.9%) were positive for Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae from the Cynopteri, Javanica Proechimys and Autumnalis sero groups(1 male and 2 females). None of the 29 living patients confirmed as having dengue were positive for Leptospira. CONCLUSIONS: Leptospirosis should be suspected not only as the sole causative agent of febrile syndrome but also of co-infection which could compromise a patient and be related to mortality.