Bovine leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects cattle herds, causing economic losses due to reproductive problems, which require expensive treatments. The main source of transmission for cattle is still uncertain, but it has been described that rodents and bats can play an important role in the transmission cycle by being maintenance hosts for the pathogenic species of the bacterium and spreading it through urine. In this study, we characterize possible risk areas for bovine leptospirosis exposure in the state of Veracruz, Mexico, based on the geographical distribution of flying (bats) and terrestrial (rodents and opossums) wild hosts of Leptospira sp. reported in Mexico in addition with climatic, geographic, soil characteristics, land use and human activities variables (environmental variables). We used a generalized linear regression model (GLM) to understand the association between the frequency of anti- Leptospira sp. antibodies (a proxy of exposure to) in cattle herds exposed to Leptospira, the favorability of wild hosts of Leptospira as well as the environmental variables. The parameterized model explains 12.3% of the variance. The frequency of anti- Leptospira sp. antibodies exposoure in cattle herds was associated with elevation, geographic longitude, pH of the soil surface and environmental favorability for the presence of rodents, opossums, and bats. The variation in exposure is mainly explained by a longitudinal gradient (6.4% of the variance) and the favorability-based indices for wild hosts (9.6 % of the variance). Describing the possible risks for exposure to Leptospira in an important and neglected livestock geographical region, we provide valuable information to the selection of areas for diagnosis and prevention of this relevant disease.

Bovine leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects bovine herds, causing economic losses due to reproductive problems, which require expensive treatments. The main source of transmission for cattle is still uncertain, but it has been described that small wild mammals can play an important role in the transmission cycle by being maintenance hosts for the pathogenic species of the bacterium and spreading it through urine. In this study, we characterize possible risk areas for bovine leptospirosis in the state of Veracruz, Mexico; based on the geographical distribution of small wild hosts of Leptospira sp. reported in Mexico in addition with climatic, geographic, land use and human activities variables, and validated risk map with bovine seroprevalence data. We used a generalized linear regression model to understand the association between the appearance of bovine leptospirosis seroprevalences and the favorability of wild hosts of Leptospira sp. as well as environmental variables. The parameterized model explains 13.58% of the variance. The seroprevalence in cattle showed a negative relationship with elevation, geographic length and human population density, and a positive relationship with environmental favorability for the bats reservoirs and favorability for at least one rodent and opossum reservoir. The variation in seroprevalence is mainly explained by a longitudinal gradient (10.4% of the variance) and the favourability for bats (3.0% of the variance). Describing the possible risks of seroprevalence in an important and neglected livestock geographical region, we contribute to the selection of areas of strategies for diagnosis and prevention of this relevant disease.