Investigation of the seroprevalence of leptospira in blood donors by elisa

Leptospira are spiral bacteria can survive for a long time in sewage and muddy water where organic matter is widespread. Leptospirosis is considered to be the causative agent of Leptospira bacteria species, widespread worldwide. In humans, the source of infection is usually direct or indirect contact with animal urine. Rodents are the most important source in the country. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the presence of Leptospira IgG antibody in serum samples obtained from blood donors at Gaziantep University Şahinbey Research Application Hospital Blood Bank. 94 donors, 30 (47%) female, and 64 (53%) male, aged 18-24 years participated in the study: 47 (50%) artisans, 16 (17%) students, 10 (10.6%) public employees, 8 (8.5%) agriculturist, 9(9.6%) housewives, and 4 (4.3%) health workers. The presence of Leptospira IgG antibody in serum samples was investigated using Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA) method. Serum samples from the 94 donor taken at the study site showed that 88 (93.6%) had no antibody, while 6 (6.4%) had a weak positive Leptospira antibody. Of these 6, 4 (6.2%) were male, 2 (6.7%) were female, 2 (4.3%) were artisans, 2(22.2%)were housewives, 1 (6.2%) was a student, and 1 (%12.5) was agriculturist had a spouse who also tested positive. Leptospira IgG antibody positivity detected in healthy porcine weeds suggests that Leptospirosis should be addressed in the context of zoonotic diseases in our region. Key words: Leptospira spp., IgG, ELISA