{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,12]],"date-time":"2026-01-12T11:11:57Z","timestamp":1768216317068,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":13,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,12]],"date-time":"2026-01-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1768176000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"\n Background<\/jats:title>\n \n Bovine genital leptospirosis (BGL) is a chronic reproductive disease caused by pathogenic\n Leptospira<\/jats:italic>\n spp., whose uneven distribution in the genital tract may compromise diagnosis.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Objective<\/jats:title>\n \n This study evaluated the presence of pathogenic\n Leptospira<\/jats:italic>\n spp. in different regions of the bovine reproductive tract of naturally infected cows to identify the most reliable anatomical site for molecular detection.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n \n Oviducts (OVID) and uterine fragments from the uterine body (UB), base of the uterine horn (BUH), and apex of the uterine horns (AUH) were collected\n post-mortem<\/jats:italic>\n from 40 cows.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n \n Pathogenic\n Leptospira<\/jats:italic>\n spp. DNA was detected by lip\n L32<\/jats:italic>\n PCR in at least one anatomical site in 55% (22\/40) of animals. The highest positivity rate was observed in UB (20\/40; 50%), whereas AUH (7.5%), BUH (0%), and OVID (2.5%) showed no or minimal detection.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n \n The findings demonstrate that pathogenic\n Leptospira<\/jats:italic>\n spp. are unevenly distributed within the bovine reproductive tract, with a clear preference for the uterine body. This anatomical site provides the greatest diagnostic accuracy and should be prioritized for molecular testing to minimize false-negative results and improve BGL surveillance.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1735321","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,12]],"date-time":"2026-01-12T08:10:50Z","timestamp":1768205450000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Finding the hiding spots: uneven distribution of pathogenic Leptospira spp. in the bovine genital tract"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Paulo Victor dos S.","family":"Pereira","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ana Paula da S.","family":"Cupello","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lucas Francisco L.","family":"Correia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Walter","family":"Lilenbaum","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Joanna M. G.","family":"Souza-Fabjan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"41","DOI":"10.1016\/j.theriogenology.2019.09.011","article-title":"Genital bovine leptospirosis: a new look for an old disease","volume":"141","author":"Loureiro","year":"2020","journal-title":"Theriogenology"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"110238","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetmic.2024.110238","article-title":"Molecular epidemiology of Leptospira spp. serogroup Sejroe associated with chronic bovine leptospirosis","volume":"298","author":"Borges","year":"2024","journal-title":"Vet Microbiol"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"443","DOI":"10.3390\/ani15030443","article-title":"How is bovine genital leptospirosis diagnosed under field conditions?","volume":"15","author":"Pedrosa","year":"2025","journal-title":"Animals"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"109489","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetmic.2022.109489","article-title":"Bovine genital leptospirosis: evidence of ovarian infection by Leptospira interrogans","volume":"271","author":"dos Santos Pereira","year":"2022","journal-title":"Vet Microbiol"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"110522","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetmic.2025.110522","article-title":"First isolation of Leptospira interrogans from follicular fluid of naturally infected cows","volume":"305","author":"Borges","year":"2025","journal-title":"Vet Microbiol"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"154","DOI":"10.1016\/j.theriogenology.2024.10.020","article-title":"Detecting Leptospira spp. infection in cows by PCR: what is the best sample to test?","volume":"231","author":"Aym\u00e9e","year":"2025","journal-title":"Theriogenology"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"106449","DOI":"10.1016\/j.micpath.2023.106449","article-title":"Cellular inflammatory response in the bovine uterus by Leptospira infection may be related to embryo death and subfertility","volume":"185","author":"Pedrosa","year":"2023","journal-title":"Microb Pathog"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e3309","DOI":"10.1002\/vetr.3309","article-title":"Field application of a combined serological-molecular testing protocol for diagnosing genital leptospirosis in naturally infected cows with gestational losses","volume":"193","author":"Aym\u00e9e","year":"2023","journal-title":"Vet Rec"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"81","DOI":"10.1007\/s11259-013-9582-x","article-title":"Urinary PCR as an increasingly useful tool for an accurate diagnosis of leptospirosis in livestock","volume":"38","author":"Hamond","year":"2014","journal-title":"Vet Res Commun"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"257","DOI":"10.1007\/978-1-60327-353-4_17","article-title":"Detection of pathogenic Leptospira spp. through real-time PCR (qPCR) targeting the LipL32 gene","volume":"943","author":"Stoddard","year":"2013","journal-title":"Methods Mol Biol"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"50","DOI":"10.1016\/j.anireprosci.2017.01.008","article-title":"High frequency of leptospiral vaginal carriers among slaughtered cows","volume":"178","author":"Loureiro","year":"2017","journal-title":"Anim Reprod Sci"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"163","DOI":"10.1016\/j.micpath.2017.11.056","article-title":"Occurrence of uterine carriers for Leptospira interrogans on slaughtered cows","volume":"114","author":"Pires","year":"2018","journal-title":"Microb Pathog"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"108088","DOI":"10.1016\/j.anireprosci.2025.108088","article-title":"First detection of Leptospira spp. in cumulus-oocyte complexes from naturally infected cows","volume":"285","author":"Pereira","year":"2026","journal-title":"Animal Reproduction Science"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Public Health"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1735321\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,12]],"date-time":"2026-01-12T08:10:52Z","timestamp":1768205452000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1735321\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,12]]},"references-count":13,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1735321"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1735321","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-2565"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-2565","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,12]]},"article-number":"1735321"}}