Investigating the existing analytical methods deployed for leptospirosis detection and diagnostics

Abstract

The morbidity and mortality of Leptospirosis have been rapidly increasing each year, currently reaching up to 1.03 million and 58 900, respectively, even though it is not yet popularly recognised as a pathogenic disease. The zoonotic property of leptospirosis further escalates concerns regarding human health and the implementation of the One Health framework. Hence, early and specific detection becomes exceedingly imperative for the prompt initiation of treatment. In this review article, various conventional and molecular methods, including microscopic agglutination test (MAT), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), mass spectrometry (MS) and rapid diagnostic tests, have been comprehensively and critically reviewed for the detection of leptospirosis based on the available literature. This review is the first of its kind, focusing on consolidating the mass spectrometric methods that have been employed and highlighting the limitations and achievements of these sophistications. The review disclosed that the available analytical expertise has not been fully utilized for Leptospirosis detection. Future directions and recommendations have been put forth for the rapid, simple, sensitive, accurate and early detection of Leptospirosis.