| Summary: | Leptospirosis is an important zoonosis that is caused by pathogenic <i>Leptospira</i>, which is considered to be a re-emerging infectious disease in many countries. Rodents are the most important reservoirs for both human and animal infection. An epidemiological survey of pathogenic <i>Leptospira</i> in rodents is important for the prevention and control of leptospirosis. In this study, a total of 964 rodents were captured from six cities in Hubei Province, and two pathogenic <i>Leptospira</i> species (<i>L. interrogans</i> and <i>L. borgpetersenii</i>) were detected using nested PCR with an overall prevalence of 4.8%. <i>L. interrogans</i> was distributed in five sampling sites, which may be the dominant species of pathogenic <i>Leptospira</i> in Hubei Province. In addition, <i>Rattus norvegicus</i> showed a relatively high infection rate, which may play an important role in the transmission and infection of pathogenic <i>Leptospira</i>. This study reveals the prevalence of pathogenic <i>Leptospira</i> in wild rodents in Hubei Province, suggesting that the risk of leptospirosis infection in Hubei Province still exists.
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