Research Projects

Leptospirosis is the most wide spread infectious zoonosis in the world.It is also an important public health problem in many parts of India and causes Epidemics especially after natural disasters such as floods and heavy monsoons(Ratnamet.al.,1983). It is a febrile illness associated with multi-organ failure, jaundice, renal failure, meningitis and pulmonary haemorrhages. Very few leptospiral factors contribute to the pathogenesis of Leptospirosis which are exposed on the surface and recognized by the immune system of the hosti.e,.the periplasmic endoflagella,sphingomyelinase C, haemolysins, LPS, and Leptospiral integral and peripheral membrane proteins. Leptospiral Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a major outermembrane component recognized by Toll like receptors (TLR2) on macrophages. It is the target antigen for antibodies that are agglutinating, opsonic and protective (Adler and Faine, 1983).Although LPS mediated immunity is serovar specific there are certain surface exposed outer membrane proteins which are expressed during course of infection which show heterologous immunity.