Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41099521›Full record

Observational studyThe Journal of infectious diseases2026

Leptospirosis Prevalence and Risk Factors Among Patients Presenting With Fever to 4 Healthcare Sites in Sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia: An International Multisite Observational and Nested Case-Control Study.

John A Crump, Polycarp Mogeni, Sara A Ajanovic, Justina M Bramugy, Mabvuto Chimenya, Edward W Green, Sham Lal, David C W Mabey, Mayfong Mayxay, Paul N Newton and 4 more

Abstract readMulticenter StudyObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in The Journal of infectious diseases, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. 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

14 authors.

John A CrumpCentre for International Health, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.ORCID 0000-0002-4529-102X
Polycarp MogeniLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-1926-7576
Sara A AjanovicCentro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique.ORCID 0000-0002-6137-8619
Justina M BramugyCentro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique.
Mabvuto ChimenyaMalawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi.
Edward W GreenMalawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi.
Sham LalLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-3650-1398
David C W MabeyLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-0031-8276
Mayfong MayxayLao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit (LOMWRU), Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR.ORCID 0000-0002-6056-4516
Paul N NewtonLao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit (LOMWRU), Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR.ORCID 0000-0003-0734-2022
Ioana D OlaruLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-3392-9257
Heidi HopkinsLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-1076-6758
Mathieu PicardeauUnité Biologie des Spirochètes, French National Reference Center for Leptospirosis, WHO Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Leptospirosis, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.ORCID 0000-0002-5338-5579
Febrile Illness Evaluation in a Broad Range of Endemicities (FIEBRE) Consortium

Funding

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine 203905/Z/16/ZUK governmentWellcome TrustWellcome Trust Clinical PhD Programme
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWe investigated the prevalence, diversity, and risk factors for acute leptospirosis in the Febrile Illness Evaluation in a Broad Range of Endemicities (FIEBRE) study.

methodsFebrile patients aged ≥2 months in Laos, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe underwent a standardized clinical and exposure assessment. Acute and convalescent serum were tested by Leptospira microscopic agglutination test (MAT) and acute plasma by lfb1 polymerase chain reaction. A ≥4-fold rise in antibody titer, or a single reciprocal titer ≥800, or Leptospira PCR positive defined confirmed leptospirosis. The identity of possible infecting strains was investigated by MAT and sequencing of PCR products.

resultsOf 7851 febrile participants enrolled, 134 (1.7%) had confirmed leptospirosis: 88 (4.6%) in Laos, 17 (1.0%) Malawi, 7 (0.3%) Mozambique, and 22 (1.2%) Zimbabwe, and 23 (0.8%) had supportive evidence of leptospirosis. Participants with leptospirosis had greater odds of headache (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.20, P < .001), rash (aOR 1.45, P < .001), conjunctivitis (aOR 3.33, P < .001), and jaundice (aOR 1.75, P < .001); and had greater odds of being older (aOR 1.02 per year, P < .001), working in rice fields (aOR 6.24, P < .001), drinking river water (aOR 5.11, P = .001). Predominant reactive Leptospira serogroups were Ballum and Icterohemorrhagiae at African sites, and Australis in Laos. Identified species were Leptospira borgpetersenii, L. interrogans, and L. kirschneri.

conclusionsLeptospirosis was a cause of febrile illness at all sites. Some clinical features helped to identify patients with leptospirosis. Interventions related to rice field work and river exposure may prevent disease. Diverse Leptospira serogroup reactivity was observed and may suggest potential hosts.

Indexed as

FeverLeptospirosisAdolescentAdultAfrica South of the SaharaAsia, SoutheasternCase-Control StudiesChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansInfantLeptospiraMaleMiddle AgedPrevalencefeverLeptospiraleptospirosisprevalencerisk factors

Identifiers

PMID41099521
PMCPMC12811888

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

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.