First Isolation of Leptospira Borgpetersenii Serovar Hardjobovis in Guanacos (Lama Guanicoe) in South America

Abstract Background Leptospirosis is the most widespread zoonotic disease in the world. It is caused by pathogenic spirochetes of the genus Leptospira spp. and is maintained in nature through chronic renal infection of carrier animals, being rodents and other small mammals the main reservoirs. This bacterial genus is highly heterogeneous and divided into three clades (pathogenic, saprophyte and intermediate). Presence of pathogenic strains in wildlife populations is essential to monitor the epidemiological status of this disease worldwide. Methods In this study, we characterize an isolated strain of a Guanaco (Lama guanicoe) using Multiple Locus Variable number tandem repeats Analysis (MLVA) (Variable Number Tandem Repeats-VNTRs: 4, 7, 10, Lb4 and Lb5). To confirm the identity of the isolated strain, partial 16S rRNA sequencing was carried out. Phylogeny was constructed using Neighbor- joining. Results The pathogenic leptospiral strain isolated from Llama guanicoe had the genetic profile identical to L. borgpetersenii serovar Hardjobovis reference strain Sponselee. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first isolation and genetic characterization of a pathogenic leptospiral strain in Guanacos in South America.