Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37289491›Full record

ArticleJMIR research protocols2023

Leptospirosis in Aotearoa New Zealand: Protocol for a Nationwide Case-Control Study.

Shahista Nisa, Emilie Vallee, Jonathan Marshall, Julie Collins-Emerson, Polly Yeung, Gerard Prinsen, Jeroen Douwes, Michael G Baker, Jackie Wright, Tanya Quin and 5 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR research protocols, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Shahista NisaMolecular Epidemiology and Public Health Laboratory, School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1721-0808
Emilie ValleeEpiCentre, School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3145-5468
Jonathan MarshallSchool of Mathematical and Computational Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0758-9658
Julie Collins-EmersonMolecular Epidemiology and Public Health Laboratory, School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4399-4805
Polly YeungSchool of Social Work, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6584-7515
Gerard PrinsenSchool of People, Environment and Planning, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1807-8565
Jeroen DouwesResearch Centre for Hauora and Health, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3599-4036
Michael G BakerDepartment of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1865-1536
Jackie WrightEnteric and Leptospira Reference Laboratory, Institute of Environmental Science and Research, Christchurch, New Zealand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6462-4769
Tanya QuinGoodfellow Unit, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0007-6862-7095
Maureen HoldawayCollege of Health, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4516-2096
David A WilkinsonUnité Mixte de Recherche, Animal, Santé, Territoires, Risques et Ecosystèmes, Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement, Institut national de la recherche agronomique, University of Montpellier, Plateforme Technologique Cyclotron Réunion Océan Indien, Sainte-Clotilde, La Réunion, France.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9986-6212
Ahmed FayazMolecular Epidemiology and Public Health Laboratory, School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8879-4535
Stuart LittlejohnMolecular Epidemiology and Public Health Laboratory, School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3780-5710
Jackie BenschopMolecular Epidemiology and Public Health Laboratory, School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7814-4341

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn Aotearoa New Zealand, 90% of patients with notified leptospirosis (a zoonotic bacterial disease) have been men working in agricultural industries. However, since 2008, the epidemiology of notified cases has been gradually changing, that is, more women are affected; there are more cases associated with occupations traditionally not considered high risk in New Zealand; infecting serovars have changed; and many patients experience symptoms long after infection. We hypothesized that there is a shift in leptospirosis transmission patterns with substantial burden on affected patients and their families.

objectiveIn this paper, we aimed to describe the protocols used to conduct a nationwide case-control study to update leptospirosis risk factors and follow-up studies to assess the burden and sources of leptospirosis in New Zealand.

methodsThis study used a mixed methods approach, comprising a case-control study and 4 substudies that involved cases only. Cases were recruited nationwide, and controls were frequency matched by sex and rurality. All participants were administered a case-control questionnaire (study 1), with cases being interviewed again at least 6 months after the initial survey (study 2). A subset of cases from two high-risk populations, that is, farmers and abattoir workers, were further engaged in a semistructured interview (study 3). Some cases with regular animal exposure had their in-contact animals (livestock for blood and urine and wildlife for kidney) and environment (soil, mud, and water) sampled (study 4). Patients from selected health clinics suspected of leptospirosis also had blood and urine samples collected (study 5). In studies 4 and 5, blood samples were tested using the microscopic agglutination test to test for antibody titers against Leptospira serovars Hardjo type bovis, Ballum, Tarassovi, Pomona, and Copenhageni. Blood, urine, and environmental samples were also tested for pathogenic Leptospira DNA using polymerase chain reaction.

resultsParticipants were recruited between July 22, 2019, and January 31, 2022, and data collection for the study has concluded. In total, 95 cases (July 25, 2019, to April 13, 2022) and 300 controls (October 19, 2019, to January 26, 2022) were interviewed for the case-control study; 91 cases participated in the follow-up interviews (July 9, 2020, to October 25, 2022); 13 cases participated in the semistructured interviews (January 26, 2021, to January 19, 2022); and 4 cases had their in-contact animals and environments sampled (October 28, 2020, and July 29, 2021). Data analysis for study 3 has concluded and 2 manuscripts have been drafted for review. Results of the other studies are being analyzed and the specific results of each study will be published as individual manuscripts..

conclusionsThe methods used in this study may provide a basis for future epidemiological studies of infectious diseases. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/47900.

Indexed as

case-control studyIndigenous healthLeptospiraleptospirosismixed methodsNew ZealandOne Healthprotocolpublic health

Identifiers

PMID37289491
PMCPMC10288348

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.