Predominance of the ST143 and ST50 Leptospira clones in the urban rat populations of Peninsular Malaysia.

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic and an emerging infectious disease caused by the pathogenic Leptospira species (Levett, 2001). Leptospirosis is transmitted directly or indirectly through urine of infected animals or environments contaminated with urine of reservoir animals (Bharti et al., 2003; Ullmann & Langoi, 2011). Serovar identification of Leptospira isolates constitutes an important component in understanding leptospiral epidemiology and establishment of appropriate control and preventive measures, especially in areas where the disease is prevalent (Bourhy et al., 2013). To date, more than 300 serovars that belong to 29 serogroups have been identified and described (Saito et al., 2013; Bourhy et al., 2014).