Vet World Vol.18 March-2025 Article - 14
Review Article
Veterinary World, 18(3): 673-685
https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2025.673-685
Leptospirosis in humans and animals in Malaysia: A review from 1976 to 2023
2. Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia.
3. Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre, Higher Institution Center of Excellence, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Leptospirosis is a globally distributed zoonotic disease that remains under-reported and misdiagnosed, particularly in tropical regions such as Malaysia. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of leptospirosis cases in humans and animals in Malaysia from 1976 to 2023, examining trends in prevalence, outbreak patterns, diagnostic advancements, and associated risk factors. The disease is primarily transmitted through direct contact with infected animals or indirectly via contaminated water and soil, with rodents serving as a major reservoir. In Malaysia, leptospirosis prevalence has increased in recent years, with a notable correlation between outbreaks and occupational exposure, recreational water activities, and monsoon-related flooding. Surveillance data indicate that specific populations, including agricultural workers, town service employees, and animal handlers, are at elevated risk. Furthermore, the disease is commonly misdiagnosed due to its clinical similarities with other endemic febrile illnesses, such as dengue fever and malaria. Advances in diagnostic methodologies, particularly the increasing use of molecular techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), have enhanced early detection, although serological tests remain widely used in epidemiological studies. This review underscores the necessity of a One Health approach, integrating human, animal, and environmental health strategies to improve surveillance and control measures. Future research should focus on strengthening diagnostic capabilities, understanding environmental reservoirs, and implementing targeted public health interventions to mitigate leptospirosis transmission in Malaysia.
Keywords: leptospirosis, epidemiology, outbreak, zoonosis, diagnostic methods, One Health.
How to cite this article: Lea JSX, Reduan MFH, Choong SS, Kamaruzaman INA, Ooi PT, AbuBakar S, Loong SK, and Rahman MSA (2025) Leptospirosis in humans and animals in Malaysia: A review from 1976 to 2023, Veterinary World, 18(3): 673–685.
Received: 2024-10-17 Accepted: 2025-02-20 Published online: 2025-03-23
Corresponding author: E-mail:
DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.673-685
Copyright: Lea, 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.
