Leptospiral infection in horses in England: a serological study

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Abstract
A sample of 500 clinically healthy horses intended for export from England (UK) was tested for serological evidence of leptospiral infection. The prevalence of leptospiral titers at a minimum serum dilution of 1:100 was 34.6%; the most common titers were to antigens from the Icterohaemorrhagiae and Australis serogroups. Although the majority of leptospiral infections in horses appear to be asymptomatic, analysis of the results of diagnostic submissions to the Central Veterinary Laboratory, Weybridge, from 1971 to 1979 indicate that leptospirosis may also be a cause of clinical disease. In particular, a statistically significant association was shown between serological evidence of leptospiral infection and the occurrence of periodic ophthalmia in England.