A cross-sectional study of dog owners’ awareness and perceived risk of leptospirosis and leptospirosis vaccination in the United Kingdom based on survey data in the period of November 2022-June 2023.

Abstract

Leptospirosis is an important zoonotic disease found globally, in 2014 due to the launch of a new tetravalent vaccination and vaccine related reactions believed to be associated, it reached the public domain as a topic of debate. Not much is known about the current uptake of vaccinations and dog owner understanding of the disease and its vaccinations within the United Kingdom (UK) dog owning population. The study aimed to analyse UK dog owner awareness and perceived risk of leptospirosis based on an online survey. 259 valid respondents were obtained. Results showed that awareness of leptospirosis correlated positively with high rainfall areas, multi-dog households, owners who obtain their dogs from abroad and those who visit the veterinarian twice yearly.