@article {16209, title = {PCR and culture identification of pathogenic Leptospira from coastal soil in Leyte, Philippines after a storm surge during Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda)}, journal = {Appl Environ MicrobiolAppl Environ MicrobiolAppl Environ Microbiol}, volume = {80}, number = {22}, year = {2014}, note = {Saito, Mitsumasa
Miyahara, Satoshi
Villanueva, Sharon Y A M
Aramaki, Natsumi
Ikejiri, Mami
Kobayashi, Yoshie
Guevarra, Jonathan P
Masuzawa, Toshiyuki
Gloriani, Nina G
Yanagihara, Yasutake
Yoshida, Shin-Ichi
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2014 Aug 29. pii: AEM.02568-14.}, month = {Aug 29}, pages = {6926-6932}, edition = {2014/08/31}, abstract = {Leptospirosis is a zoonosis caused by pathogenic Leptospira spp. Most of the outbreaks of leptospirosis occur after floods caused by heavy rain in endemic countries. It has been believed that overflowing of seawater rarely causes outbreak because the leptospires are killed by salt water. On November 8, 2013, a storm surge caused by Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) inundated the entire Tacloban and Palo in Leyte, Philippines. The present study was carried out in order to determine whether the environmental leptospires in soil are able to survive after the storm surge in the affected areas. We collected 23 wet soil samples along the coastal areas of Tacloban and Palo two months after the storm surge. The samples were suspended with HEPES buffer, and the supernatant were cultured in liquid or semi-solid Korthof{\textquoteright}s media supplemented with five antimicrobial agents to inhibit the growth of contaminants. Leptospires were isolated from primary cultures of 22 out of 23 samples. DNA of pathogenic Leptospira species was detected in 11 samples (47.8\%) by analysis of nested flaB-PCR. Eventually, two pathogenic Leptospira strains were isolated and showed the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Leptospira kmetyi. These isolates, when experimentally mixed with soil, were found to survive in seawater for four days. These results showed a possibility that leptospires living in soil survived after the storm surge. Our findings may serve as a warning that when seawater inundates the land during storm surge or tsunami, an outbreak of leptospirosis could occur in the disaster-stricken area.}, isbn = {1098-5336 (Electronic)
0099-2240 (Linking)}, author = {Saito, M. and Miyahara, S. and Villanueva, S. Y. and Aramaki, N. and Ikejiri, M. and Kobayashi, Y. and Guevarra, J. P. and Masuzawa, T. and Gloriani, N. G. and Yanagihara, Y. and Yoshida, S. I.} }