We did not identify the aetiologic agent or animal reservoirs
for transmission at the subsistence farming community
site. In the MAT evaluation of a sample of study subjects,
highest agglutination titres were directed to a range of
reference serovars, suggesting that several agents may be
circulating in this endemic region. However, culture isolation
studies need to be performed, as serological approaches
may not adequately identify the infecting serogroup (Levett,
2003); alternatively, transmission may have been due to a
predominant serovar that belongs to a serogroup that is not
represented in the MAT reference panel and that has not
been previously identified. Identification of effective control
measures will require a systematic investigation of animal
reservoirs, as has been done in other rural settings where
leptospirosis is endemic (Bunnell et al., 2000; Hartskeerl and
Terpstra, 1996).