China review spotlights One Health burden of leptospirosis
A new systematic review and meta-analysis in Preventive Veterinary Medicine examines the epidemiology of human and canine leptospirosis in China, synthesizing studies identified through six databases up to November 11, 2025. The authors position the work as a One Health assessment of a still-neglected zoonosis, arguing that shared environmental exposure between people and dogs continues to sustain risk despite long-term declines in reported human incidence. (sciencedirect.com)
That framing fits the broader Chinese disease picture. Leptospirosis is a notifiable Class/Category B infectious disease in China, and national zoonotic disease trend analyses show that from 2015 to 2022, human incidence remained relatively stable rather than continuing a clear downward slide. The same analysis noted that zoonotic disease control in China increasingly requires region- and population-specific strategies under a One Health model, particularly where climate, agricultural practices, and human-animal contact keep transmission pressure in place. (mdpi.com)
The new review is notable because it explicitly combines human and canine evidence, a useful shift for a pathogen that moves through environmental contamination and animal reservoirs. ScienceDirect’s summary of the article says the review was designed to estimate prevalence patterns and explore associated factors in both humans and dogs across China, with the goal of informing surveillance and prevention planning. The article description also notes the role of free-roaming or stray dogs in maintaining transmission risk in urban and rural communities, adding context for why canine data matter beyond companion animal medicine alone. (sciencedirect.com)
Recent canine findings from China underscore that point. In a 2025 open-access study of 1,517 dogs sampled from 2021 through 2023 across the Yangtze River region, investigators reported an overall Leptospira seropositivity rate of 46.41% by MAT. The leading serogroups among positive dogs were Canicola, found in 72.73% of seropositive samples, and Icterohaemorrhagiae, found in 28.69%, followed by Ballum and Australis. The authors said those findings suggest a substantial canine exposure burden and potential public health risk in a region characterized by abundant water systems, humid conditions, and frequent water-related human activity. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
That study also offers an important nuance for clinicians: measured seropositivity doesn’t equal active clinical disease. The authors noted that vaccination history was not collected, even though commercial canine leptospirosis vaccines are widely used in China, which means some antibody findings may reflect prior immunization rather than natural infection. Even so, the serogroup pattern is relevant, because it can help veterinarians think through local exposure ecology, diagnostic interpretation, and whether available vaccine formulations align with circulating strains. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Industry and guideline signals are moving in the same direction. WSAVA’s 2024 vaccination guidelines say leptospirosis vaccines should be considered core in regions where canine leptospirosis is endemic, implicated serogroups are known, and suitable vaccines are commercially available. AAHA has also updated its canine vaccination guidance to recommend leptospirosis vaccination as core for most dogs, reflecting a broader shift away from treating lepto as a niche lifestyle vaccine. Those recommendations aren’t China-specific, but they reinforce the practical relevance of better regional surveillance data like those gathered in this review and related studies. (wsava.org)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this paper is less about a single prevalence figure and more about surveillance architecture. A combined human-canine evidence base can help clinics, diagnostic labs, and public health agencies identify where canine testing may function as an early warning signal for human risk, especially in flood-prone or rodent-heavy areas. It also supports more grounded conversations with pet parents about why leptospirosis belongs in preventive care planning, not just in outbreak response. In settings where exposure is plausible, the case for vaccination, environmental risk reduction, and faster recognition of compatible clinical signs gets stronger when viewed through a One Health lens. (sciencedirect.com)
What to watch: The next step is whether this review leads to more standardized prevalence studies, clearer reporting of canine vaccination status, and closer matching of surveillance and vaccine strategy to locally detected serogroups in China. (sciencedirect.com)