{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T01:43:53Z","timestamp":1791251033705,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,25]],"date-time":"2024-09-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1727222400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"FUI 14 (Fonds Unique Interminist\u00e9riel) \u201cCOVALEPT\u201d, accredited by the competitiveness cluster Lyonbiop\u00f4le"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Microorganisms"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Leptospirosis is a widespread zoonosis caused by spirochaetes belonging to the pathogenic species of Leptospira, which are classified into more than 25 serogroups and 250 serovars. Vaccination can prevent the disease in dogs but offers incomplete efficacy because of a lack of cross-protection between serogroups. The aim of this study was to validate a robust recruitment and sampling process, with the objectives of isolating and typing circulating Leptospira pathogenic strains and then selecting those of proven virulence and pathogenicity for vaccine development. Blood and urine samples from dogs with clinical syndromes compatible with acute leptospirosis were sterilely collected and transported to a reference laboratory for a micro-agglutination test (MAT), PCR, and bacterial isolation. Isolated strains underwent molecular typing using RNA16S, variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR), and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Subtyping was performed using core genome multilocus sequence typing (CgMLST). Among 64 included dogs, 41 had MAT and\/or PCR results compatible with Leptospira infection, and 14 Leptospira strains were isolated. Based on molecular typing, 11 isolates were classified as L. interrogans serogroup Australis, serovar Bratislava, and 3 as serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae, serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae. CgMLST subtyping revealed a diversity of clonal groups (CGs) distributed in several regional clusters. Besides validating a robust recruitment and sampling process, this study outlines the value of combining PCR and serological testing when suspecting leptospirosis and the usefulness of implementing molecular typing methods to identify circulating field strains. It also confirms the epidemiological importance of the Australis serogroup and allows for the collection of different highly pathogenic strains for vaccine development.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms12101946","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,26]],"date-time":"2024-09-26T04:05:46Z","timestamp":1727323546000},"page":"1946","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Isolation of Virulent Leptospira Serogroup Australis Field Strains from Symptomatic Dogs for Canine Leptospiral Vaccine Development"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Pierre","family":"Bergamo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, Clinical R&D, 01150 Saint-Vulbas, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marine","family":"Le Guyader","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"VetAgro Sup, P\u00f4le d\u2019Analyses, Universit\u00e9 de Lyon, 69280 Marcy-l\u2019\u00c9toile, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1421-2448","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marine","family":"Hugonnard","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"VetAgro Sup, Centre Hospitalier V\u00e9t\u00e9rinaire, 69280 Marcy-l\u2019\u00c9toile, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Pascale","family":"Bourhy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit\u00e9 de Biologie des Spiroch\u00e8tes, Institut Pasteur, National Reference Center and WHO Collaborating Center for Leptospirosis, 75015 Paris, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nathalie","family":"Simon-Dufay","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, Global Innovation, 813 Cours du Troisi\u00e8me Mill\u00e9naire, 69800 Saint-Priest, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"J\u00e9r\u00f4me","family":"Bouvet","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, Clinical R&D, 01150 Saint-Vulbas, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4313-6384","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jean-Christophe","family":"Thibault","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"JC&P Life Science Partner, 4460 Ancienne Route de Dauphin, 04300 Forcalquier, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lionel","family":"Cupillard","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, Global Innovation, 813 Cours du Troisi\u00e8me Mill\u00e9naire, 69800 Saint-Priest, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Costa, F., Hagan, J.E., Calcagno, J., Kane, M., Torgerson, P., Martinez-Silveira, M.S., Stein, C., Abela-Ridder, B., and Ko, A.I. 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