China leptospirosis review highlights ongoing human-canine risk

Leptospirosis remains uncommon in China by reported human incidence, but a new systematic review and meta-analysis in Preventive Veterinary Medicine argues it’s still a meaningful One Health surveillance issue because people and dogs share many of the same environmental exposures. The authors reviewed studies published through November 11, 2025, across six databases to synthesize evidence on pathogenic Leptospira infection in humans and dogs in China, with the goal of mapping prevalence patterns and associated risk factors. Their central message is that the disease burden may look low in national case counts, yet local hotspots, environmental drivers, and animal reservoirs still support ongoing transmission risk. (sciencedirect.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the paper reinforces that canine leptospirosis should be viewed as both a clinical disease and a public health signal. China’s broader human surveillance data show leptospirosis incidence declined from 0.047 per 100,000 people in 2010 to 0.019 per 100,000 in 2023, but recent analyses also describe persistent sporadic cases, localized outbreaks, and climate-linked resurgence risk, especially after heavy rain and flooding. Other recent China-focused studies note that dogs can act as reservoirs in some northern settings, while rodents remain important in southern and Yangtze River Basin patterns, underscoring why local ecology matters for case suspicion, diagnostics, and prevention messaging. CDC and Merck both emphasize that dogs can shed Leptospira in urine and expose veterinary teams and pet parents, making PPE, isolation protocols, and early treatment especially relevant in practice. (idpjournal.biomedcentral.com)

What to watch: Watch for whether the review drives more region-specific canine surveillance, updated prevention guidance, or stronger One Health monitoring in Chinese flood-prone and historically endemic areas. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)