Leptospirosis in Takeo Province, Kingdom of Cambodia, 2003
Heng Seng MD*,**, Touch Sok MD, MPH**, Waraluk Tangkanakul MD, MPH***, Wimol Petkanchanapong PhD****, Uraiwan Kositanont PhD*****, Hem Sareth******, Bunleng Hor MD*******, Chuleeporn Jiraphongsa MD, PhD*
Affiliation : * International Field Epidemiology Training Program, Bureau of Epidemiology, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand ** Communicable Disease Control Department of Ministry of Health, Cambodia *** Bureau of General Communicable Diseases, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand **** National Institute of Health, Department of Medical Science, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand ***** Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand ****** Takeo provincial hospital, Cambodia ******* National HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STD, Cambodia
Background : In Cambodia, epidemiology and disease burden of leptospirosis were not addressed as they do
not have an existing surveillance system and have limitations on their laboratory diagnosis.
Objective : Define the existence of leptospirosis and determine the antibodies to serovars of leptospires in
Cambodia.
Materials and Methods : One hundred and twenty-one suspected cases of leptospirosis were enrolled in this
cross-sectional study, between September 8 and November 30, 2003 from Takeo Provincial Hospital in Doun
Keo District, Cambodia.
Results : Common clinical manifestations were fever (96%), headache (92%), and myalgia (87%). Common
risk behaviors were throwing garbage on the ground (84%), pulling out sprouts (77%), fertilizing (49%), and
plowing (47%). Microscopic agglutination test result confirmed four cases and polymerase chain reaction
test result confirmed seven cases. Two cases each showed antibodies to serovars Javanica and Australis. An
estimated annual incidence of leptospirosis in Takeo province was 7.65 per 100,000 populations. Further
studies to define epidemiology and burden of disease are needed.
Conclusion : Increasing awareness and knowledge on leptospirosis among people are necessary to decrease
the impact of leptospirosis in Cambodia.
Keywords : Leptospirosis, Leptospirae, Cambodia
