Post-flood leptospirosis outbreak response due to L. interrogans and L. kirschneri in central Greece, 2023: comparison of laboratory and clinical manifestations

Clicks: 1
ID: 313393
2026
Free PDF
Article Quality & Performance Metrics
Overall Quality
Not rated
Combines reader engagement with the AI quality analysis. This article has not been analysed, so there is no overall score — reader engagement is measured and shown alongside.
AI Quality Assessment
Not analyzed
Readership in this journal

Ranked #184 of 208 articles by views in Open forum infectious diseases

Most read Least read

Bar heights use a square-root scale. Only the 120 most-read articles are drawn; the journal has 208 in total.

Mint this article as an NFT
Not yet minted

Create a permanent, verifiable on-chain record of this article on the Scimatic Network. The NFT is held in your Journament account, and you can withdraw it to your own wallet at any time.

5 SUSD one-off · no wallet required
Sign in to mint
Abstract
Abstract Background In September 2023, catastrophic flooding from storms Daniel and Elias struck Thessaly, Greece. We present findings from the post-flood leptospirosis outbreak investigation and key lessons for future preparedness. Methods Ad-hoc active surveillance was set-up to complement national notifications. We used the national case definition for leptospirosis probable and confirmed cases. Diagnostic protocols involved clinical manifestation, PCR, targeted sequencing (blood/urine) and serology. Exposure history was collected via a structured questionnaire. We performed case-series analyses, logistic regression, and Receiver Operating Characteristic curve. Results During the three-month post-flood period, 285 probable and 45 confirmed leptospirosis cases were identified. The post-flood notification rate was 6.5/100,000 population. L. kirschneri and L. interrogans were identified in 33 (87%) and five (13%) of the 38 PCR-confirmed cases, respectively. Two fatalities were attributed to L. interrogans. L. interrogans cases had higher odds of hospitalization (OR:16, 95%CI:1.6-159.2), elevated creatinine (p=0.03), urea (p=0.03), and lower platelets (p=0.02). Urine PCR had the highest diagnostic yield (84%). Leptospirosis cases reported exposure to floodwater (89%), lack of strict adherence to personal protective equipment (100%), and limited awareness of protective measures (25%). Discussion The 2023 Thessaly floods led to a marked rise in leptospirosis incidence, with L. interrogans linked to greater clinical severity. The outbreak highlights the need for public and healthcare workers’ awareness, early diagnosis, species-specific active surveillance, and One Health strategies. Strengthening multisectoral preparedness is critical as climate change increases the risk of similar events in Europe.
Reference Key
openalex_W7161272543 Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Zacharoula Bogogianidou, Ioanna Voulgaridi, Maria Tseroni, Γεώργιος Δουγάς, Evangelia D. Apostolidi, Evangelia Angelouli, Theologia Sideroglou, Katerina Maria Kontouli, Sotirios Vasileiadis, Christos Kontos, Athanasios G. Lianos, Thalia Panagiotopoulou, Dimitrios Babalis, Dora Konstantoula, Konstantinos Krapis, George Karras, Alexandra Manika, Chrisovalanti Koukouletsou, Ilias Karametos, Meropi Zigra, George Βatziogiorgos, Sotiria Dimou, Nikolaos Papageorgiou, Dimitrios Georgiou, Dimitrios Paraskevis, Dimitrios Hatzigeorgiou, Stamatia Kokkali, Fani Kalala, Varvara Α. Mouchtouri, Matthaios Speletas, Efthymia Petinaki, Christos Hadjichristodoulou
Journal Open forum infectious diseases
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/ofid/ofag301
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofag301
Keywords Keywords not found

Citations

No citations found. To add a citation, contact the admin at info@scimatic.org

Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment on this article.