Leptospirosis in the Meshushim catchment – source mapping, strain typing and hydrological modeling for the prediction of future outbreaks

Leptospirosis is the most prevalent zoonotic disease in the world, and is caused by bacteria of the genus Leptopspira. The disease is transmitted to humans through contact with water or soil that have been contaminated with the urine of infected animals, and disease can become life threatening. In 2018 a large outbreak of human leptospirosis has been documented, linked to contaminated water bodies in the north of Israel. Prior to this outbreak, there was an outbreak of leptospirosis in beef herds which graze in the vicinity of the streams. Since then, many cases of leptospirosis are being reported each year, the majority of which are linked to recreational activities in the streams of northern Israel. Despite the severity of the disease and the prevalence of cases being reported, there exists a substantial knowledge gap in our understanding of the dynamics, epidemiology and dissemination of pathogenic Leptospira strains in the north of Israel. The proposed research program is a cross disciplinary effort designed to combine microbial ecology, veterinary medicine and hydrology in order to dissect the sources, strains and dynamics of pathogenic Leptospira in the catchment area of the Meshushim stream, and provide a hydrological model to help manage and predict leptospirosis in the streams of northern Israel. The research plan includes intensive longitudinal sampling of soil and water, MST assays to determine sources of fecal contamination, monitoring and strain typing of pathogenic Leptospira in the environment and in nearby cattle herds and building of a hydrological model of Leptospira dissemination.