Leptospira infection in European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus): occurrence, diversity and associated risk factors in Greater Paris, France.

In rescued injured European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) in Ile-de-France, 22% of 270 dead animals tested qPCR-positive for Leptospira DNA in 2023–2024.

• Why it matters: Leptospirosis prevalence is increasing in mainland France, and human cases show greater Leptospira diversity than local rodents, implying unidentified hosts may carry public-health strains.
• What they did: Kidney DNA from 270 hedgehogs was screened by real-time PCR, and positive samples were genotyped, with Leptospira interrogans SG5 most common; 245 blood samples were also tested by MAT.
• The result: Age and season significantly predicted hedgehog infection status, and hedgehogs in Ile-de-France are linked to circulating pathogenic Leptospira, warranting studies on epidemiological links to other hosts including humans.