Microscopic agglutination test: Variables that affect the time of serological confirmation of human leptospirosis cases

Leptospirosis is considered an endemic disease in Buenos Aires province, Argentina, with human cases reported annually from rural and urban areas. The aim of the study was to describe the variables that influence the delay in the serological confirmation of leptospirosis in human cases (period 2006-2014) from Buenos Aires province. Sixty-four percent (64%) of cases could be confirmed by microscopic agglutination test (MAT) with the first sample. The time of confirmation of the human leptospirosis cases was on average 21 days from the onset of the first clinical signs, and varied depending on the distance of the different sanitary regions. The geographical distribution of the confirmed leptospirosis human cases, in addition to the high number of suspected cases and probable cases (which could not be confirmed by MAT), demonstrate that leptospirosis is endemic and underreported in Buenos Aires province, and that distance and lack of resources could be determinant factors of this situation.