Main Article Content
Abstract
Early detection of leptospirosis is critical for effective disease management and reducing mortality, particularly in tropical developing countries where the disease burden is high and clinical presentation resembles other febrile illnesses such as malaria and dengue. The incidence of leptospirosis can escalate dramatically following flooding disasters, with mortality rates substantially increasing. This review assesses the effectiveness of various early detection methods, including molecular techniques (PCR), serological assays, rapid lateral flow immunoassays (LFIs), and geospatial early warning systems. LFIs demonstrate moderate sensitivity (~68%) and high specificity (~93%), indicating potential utility for screening in endemic areas, although they require confirmatory testing to ensure diagnostic accuracy. IgM-based assays show superior sensitivity compared to IgG-based methods, suggesting greater promise for early diagnosis. Despite advancements, challenges remain in optimizing diagnostic tools suitable for resource-limited tropical settings to enable timely and accurate detection. This underscores the need for integrated early warning systems combined with improved diagnostic technologies to enhance leptospirosis control and prevention strategies.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Abe Yafi Muqaddas; Teuku Muhammad Ayyub Al-Anshari; Qisthi Nabiila

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References
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References
REFERENCES
Antima, & Banerjee, S. (2023). Modeling the dynamics of leptospirosis in India. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-46326-2
Bradley, E. A., & Lockaby, G. (2023). Leptospirosis y el medio ambiente: una revisión y direcciones futuras. Pathogens, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 12(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12091167
Ciurariu, E., Prodan-Barbulescu, C., Mateescu, D. M., Tutac, P., Sorop, V. B., Susan, M., & Varga, N. I. (2025). Diagnostic Advances in Leptospirosis: A Comparative Analysis of Paraclinical Tests with a Focus on PCR. Microorganisms, 13(3), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13030667
Cunha, M., Costa, F., Ribeiro, G. S., Carvalho, M. S., Reis, R. B., Nery, N., Pischel, L., Gouveia, E. L., Santos, A. C., Queiroz, A., Wunder, E. A., Reis, M. G., Diggle, P. J., & Ko, A. I. (2022). Rainfall and other meteorological factors as drivers of urban transmission of leptospirosis. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 16(4), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0007507
Douchet, L., Goarant, C., Mangeas, M., Menkes, C., Hinjoy, S., & Herbreteau, V. (2022). Unraveling the invisible leptospirosis in mainland Southeast Asia and its fate under climate change. Science of the Total Environment, 832(March), 155018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155018
Douchet, L., Menkes, C., Herbreteau, V., Larrieu, J., Bador, M., Goarant, C., & Mangeas, M. (2024). Climate-driven models of leptospirosis dynamics in tropical islands from three oceanic basins. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 18(4), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0011717
Lotto Batista, M., Rees, E. M., Gómez, A., López, S., Castell, S., Kucharski, A. J., Ghozzi, S., Müller, G. V., & Lowe, R. (2023). Towards a leptospirosis early warning system in northeastern Argentina. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 20(202), 0–7. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2023.0069
Muñoz-Zanzi, C., Dreyfus, A., Limothai, U., Foley, W., Srisawat, N., Picardeau, M., & Haake, D. A. (2025). Leptospirosis - Improving Healthcare Outcomes for a Neglected Tropical Disease. Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 12(2), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofaf035
Mwongela, J. M., Kanyiri, C., & Kitetu, V. (2025). Leptospirosis Dynamics With Misdiagnosis: A Review. Journal of Applied Mathematics, 2025(1). https://doi.org/10.1155/jama/1691122
Nualnoi, T., Lomlim, L., & Naorungroj, S. (2024). Accuracy of rapid lateral flow immunoassays for human leptospirosis diagnosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 18(5), 90–95. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0012174
Pal, M., Roba Bulcha, M., & Mitiku Bune, W. (2021). Leptospirosis and One Health Perspective. American Journal of Public Health Research, 9(4), 180–183. https://doi.org/10.12691/ajphr-9-4-9
Parra Barrera, E. L., Bello Piruccini, S., Rodríguez, K., Duarte, C., Torres, M., & Undurraga, E. A. (2023). Demographic and clinical risk factors associated with severity of lab-confirmed human leptospirosis in Colombia, 2015–2020. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 17(7), e0011454. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0011454
Rajapakse, S. (2022). Leptospirosis: Clinical aspects. Clinical Medicine, Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of London, 22(1), 14–17. https://doi.org/10.7861/clinmed.2021-0784
Ranieri, T. M., Viegas da Silva, E., Vallandro, M. J., Oliveira, M. M. de, Barcellos, R. B., Lenhardt, R. V., Timm, L. N., Campos, A. S., Simoni, C., Abbad, P. R. da S., Brack, D. B., Rech, T. F., Silveira, J. de O., Estevam, V. O., Fonseca, L. X., Galan, D. I., & Schneider, M. C. (2025). Leptospirosis Cases During the 2024 Catastrophic Flood in Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil. Pathogens, 14(4), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14040393