Geospatial mapping and risk factor analysis of Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola Portland Vere in backyard cattle in Chiapas, Mexico

Vet World Vol.18 September-2025 Article - 7

Research Article

Veterinary World, 18(9): 2636-2649

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2025.2636-2649

Liliana del Rosario Velázquez Noriega¹

, José Del Carmen Rejón-Orantes²

, Enrique Herrera López³

, José Luis Gutiérrez Hernández³

, Francisco Antonio Cigarroa Vázquez⁴

, Leopoldo Medina Sansón²

, Carlos Alfredo Carmona Gasca⁵

, José Ángel Gutiérrez Martínez⁶

, Rafael Enrique Ruiz Echeverría¹

, and Gerardo Uriel Bautista Trujillo²

1. Master of Science in Tropical Agropecuary Production, Meritorious Autonomous University of Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, Mexico.

2. Chiapas Medicinal Plants Research Institute, Meritorious Autonomous University of Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, Mexico.

3. National Center for Disciplinary Research in Animal Health and Safety- National Institute of Forestry, Agricultural, and Livestock Research, Palo Alto, Ciudad de Mexico.

4. Department of Biosafety and Food Safety, Mezcalapa School of Agricultural and Livestock Studies, Meritorious Autonomous University of Chiapas, Chiapas, Mexico.

5. Functional Biology Laboratory, Academic Unit for Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, Autonomous University of Nayarit, Tepic, Mexico.

6. Department of Animal Health and Safety, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics CII, Meritorious Autonomous University of Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico.

Background and Aim: Leptospirosis is a globally neglected zoonosis caused by pathogenic spirochetes of the genus Leptospira. It affects a wide range of animals and poses serious public and veterinary health risks. Backyard cattle systems, common across Latin America, are particularly vulnerable due to poor biosecurity and close animal–human–wildlife interfaces. This study assessed the seroprevalence, spatial distribution, and risk factors associated with Leptospira infection in backyard cattle herds of central Chiapas, Mexico.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to September 2022 across five municipalities. A total of 590 serum samples were collected and analyzed using the microscopic agglutination test with six serovars. The geographical coordinates of production units (PUs) were recorded using a Global Positioning System (GPS), and spatial analysis was conducted with ArcGIS 10.5. Risk factor associations were evaluated through Chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression using RStudio and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software.

Results: The overall seroprevalence of Leptospira was 27.72% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 23.97%–31.75%), with the Portland Vere serovar being predominant (22.89%). Cintalapa exhibited the highest municipal seroprevalence (61.75%; odds ratio [OR] = 6.2). Logistic regression identified significant risk factors for seropositivity, including artificial insemination (OR = 2.43), use of Jagüey reservoirs (OR = 0.47), and cattle aged 3 years (OR = 0.54) or 8 years (OR = 1.98). The American Swiss × Holstein crossbreed was significantly associated with increased seroprevalence (OR = 3.15). The presence of dogs within PUs was significantly associated with Portland Vere seropositivity (OR = 3.82), highlighting a possible role in disease transmission.

Conclusion: This study highlights a high burden of Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola Portland Vere in backyard cattle of central Chiapas. Key risk factors include specific breeding methods, water sources, age, and breed. The integration of serological surveillance, spatial mapping, and statistical modeling proved effective in identifying epidemiological hotspots and informing future One Health-based prevention strategies. The findings emphasize the need for enhanced disease surveillance, targeted control programs, and public health interventions tailored to small-scale cattle systems in tropical regions.

Keywords: backyard cattle, GIS mapping, Leptospira, Portland Vere, risk factors, seroprevalence, zoonosis, Chiapas, Mexico.

How to cite this article: Velázquez Noriega LDR, Rejón-Orantes JDC, Herrera LE, Gutiérrez HJL, Cigarroa VFA, Medina SL, Carmona GCA, Gutiérrez MJA, Ruiz ERE, and Bautista TGU (2025) Geospatial mapping and risk factor analysis of Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola Portland Vere in backyard cattle in Chiapas, Mexico, Veterinary World, 18(9): 2636-2649.

Received: 08-05-2025 Accepted: 04-08-2025 Published online: 11-09-2025

Corresponding author: Gerardo Uriel Bautista Trujillo E-mail: gerardo.trujillo@unach.mx

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.2636-2649

Copyright: Noriega, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.