author(s)
R Eazhisai, TMA Senthilkumar, K Manimaran and G Ravikumar

abstract
Leptospirosis is a bacterial zoonotic disease of worldwide importance, caused by members of pathogenic leptospires. Direct or indirect contact with the infected animal or environment results in infection. Rodents are the important reservoir of leptospires. This study was conducted to demonstrate the isolation and phenotypic identification of Leptospira in rodent carriers, which are central to the epidemiology of the disease. The percentage of isolation in rats in this study were 12.5. The rat isolates were confirmed with specific phenotypic tests to differentiate the pathogenic leptospira from the saprophytic leptospira. The isolates were able to grow at +28 +/- 1 °C in EMJH semi-solid and liquid media, also in the presence of 5-Fluorouracil. Ellinghausen McCullough Johnson and Harris medium containing copper sulphate and 8-azaguanine inhibited the growth of these isolates at the conc. of 100 ppm and 225 μg/ml, respectively which further confirmed the pathogenic status of the isolates.