9:00–9:25 AM

Opening Ceremony

10:45–11:00 AM

A Pathway to the Future – Bringing a Neglected Disease to the Spotlight One Experiment at a Time

Elsio A. Wunder Jr.

Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, University of Connecticut, United States of America.

11:00–11:15 AM

Diversity, ecology, epidemiology, and Leptospira reservoirs

Carcauzon Victoria (France)

11:15–11:30 AM

A Multi-Landscape Assessment of Leptospira Prevalence on a Diversity of Small Mammals

Dr. Farah Shafawati Mohd-Taib (Malaysia)

11:30–12:00 PM

Keynote Address — Bridging Boundaries: An Integrated One Health Approach to the Control and Management of Leptospirosis in an Endemic State in India

Dr. V. Balamurugan, India

Principal Scientist-Veterinary Microbiology, WOAH Designated Expert / Head WOAH Reference Laboratory for PPR & Leptospirosis, ICAR-NIVEDI, Karnataka India

12:00–12:15 PM

Leptospira prevalence, cycling, and infection in rural Ecuador

Talima Pearson (USA)

12:15–12:30 PM

A currently unculturable lineage of Leptospira borgpetersenii has infected cattle in multiple

U.S. states and is genetically linked to samples from cattle in New Zealand and Uganda

Dave Wagner (USA)

12:30–12:45 PM

Urinary Shedding of Pathogenic Leptospira spp. Across Hosts: A Systematic Review of Reservoirs and Transmission Risk.

Gustavo Monti (Netherlands)

12:45–1:00 PM

Novel Strain of Leptospira interrogans Identified in the Environment Caused Severe Leptospirosis in Berry Farm Workers in California 2024

Nathan E. Stone (USA)

2:00–2:05 PM

A Jigsaw Approach to Building One Health Evidence for Leptospirosis in Uganda

Lordrick Alinaitwe (Uganda)

2:05–2:10 PM

Detection of Leptospira in the Reproductive Tracts and Urine of Female Cull Cattle in Southeastern United States

Myranda Gorman (USA)

2:10–2:15 PM

Laboratory-confirmed leptospirosis and associated risk factors among undifferentiated febrile illness patients in Jaffna district, Sri Lanka: A hospital-based study

Yanuthy Tharsan (Sri Lanka)

2:15–2:20 PM

Current Status and Future Challenges of Leptospirosis Hotspots in the Philippines: Recommendation for Policy Development

Christopher Allan F. Reballos (Philippines)

2:20–2:30 PM

Q&A

2:30–2:45 PM

LAWA PH: Strengthening One Health Strategies for Community Leptospirosis Prevention Khristine Sandoval (Philippines)

National University, Philippines, Manila, Philippines

2:45–3:00 PM

Quantifying under-reporting of leptospirosis in the Taranaki region, New Zealand

Julie Collins-Emerson (New Zealand)

3:00–3:15 PM

A One Health risk stratification model for leptospirosis surveillance using multiple correspondence analysis and hierarchical clustering in Côte d’Ivoire.

Koffi Kouadio Stéphane (Côte d'Ivoire)

3:15–3:30 PM

Accounting for Spatial Heterogeneity in Environmental Covariates in Regression Analyses of Leptospirosis Surveillance Data

Brent Strong (USA)

3:30–3:45 PM

Twenty-Five Years of Leptospira Surveillance in Costa Rica: Integrating Serology, Genomics, and a Global Perspective on Leptospira santarosai

Diana Chinchilla (Costa Rica)

4:15–4:30 PM

From an Uncommon Finding to an Emerging Public Health Concern: Two Decades of

Leptospira spp. Serogroup Pomona in Croatia

Iva Benvin (Croatia)

4:30–4:45 PM

Molecular epidemiology of the 2025 leptospirosis surge at San Lazaro Hospital, Manila, the Philippines, by direct multilocus sequence typing.

Ryan McCorkell (Japan)

4:45–5:00 PM

Spatial Epidemiological Approaches to Inform One Health Interventions during Leptospirosis Outbreak in Pangandaran, Indonesia

Pandji Wibawa Dhewantara (Indonesia)

5:00–5:15 PM

Leptospirosis Outbreak Among Crew Members of a Fishing Vessel in Indonesia: Epidemiology, Clinical, Laboratory Findings, Public Health Response

Farida Dwi Handayani (Indonesia)

5:15–5:30 PM

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Rice Farmers on Leptospirosis in a Rural Municipality in the Philippines

Melchor G. Eda Jr. (Philippines)

5:30 PM

End of Day 1

5:45–7:00 PM

International MAT Proficiency Testing Discussion (private)

8:00–9:00 AM

ILS Business meeting (Private)

8:00–9:00 AM

Poster Viewing/Evaluation

A One Health Framework to Understand and Mitigate Climate-driven Leptospirosis in Aotearoa New Zealand

Jackie Benschop (New Zealand)

Massey University,
School of Veterinary Science,
Palmerston North, New Zealand

9:15–9:30 AM

Rising in Rural Pahang: Five-year Epidemiological Trends of Leptospirosis in Malaysia, 2021-2025

Dr Widad Ulya Binti Mohamed Yusof (Malaysia)

9:30–9:45 AM

Spatial clustering and ecological correlates of human leptospirosis in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, from 2019 to 2024

Yanuthy Tharsan (Sri Lanka)

9:45–10:00 AM

Spatial clustering and environmental correlates of leptospirosis seroprevalence in pregnant women from Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka: An ecological study

Shashanka Rajapakse (Sri Lanka)

10:00–10:15 AM

Population-Based Seroincidence and of Leptospiral Infection During Pregnancy in Rural Sri Lanka: The Rajarata Pregnancy Cohort

Madushika Sewwandi (Sri Lanka)

10:15–10:30 AM

Leptospirosis Occurs as Frequently as Malaria Among Acute Febrile Adolescent and Adult Patients in Hoima, Uganda

Andrew Vivian Kirabo (Uganda)

11.00-11.15AM

Gamifying Leptospirosis Prevention: From Awareness to Action

Syafinaz Amin Nordin (Malaysia)

Professor, Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UPM, Malaysia

11:15–11:30 AM

Hydrological and Epidemiological Modeling of Leptospirosis in a Tropical Environment

Juan Manuel Cordovez (Colombia)

11:30–11:45 AM

Study of the environmental impact of leptospirosis in Algeria (2010-2024)

Anissa Amara Korba (Algeria)

11:45–12:00 PM

Environmental Distribution of Pathogenic Leptospira spp. in Subtropical Rivers of Japan

Atsuhiro Kanayama (Japan)

12:00–12:15 PM

Spatially Uniform and Matrix-Independent Distribution of Diverse Leptospira spp. In Estero de Paco, Manila, Philippines

Ram Julius L. Marababol (Philippines)

12:15–12:30 PM

Detection of pathogenic Leptospira, including a new species, across environmental samples in urban and rural settings in the Netherlands

Priscyla dos Santos Ribeiro (Netherlands)

12:30–12:45 PM

Leptospirosis during the 2025 monsoon flood in Sawai Madhopur district, Rajasthan, India: human, environmental and meteorological findings

Ankoor Tyagi (India)

12:45–1:00 PM

Exposure to Leptospira in Munich's Urban River Surfers

Martin H. Richter (Germany)

2:00–2:30 PM

Keynote Address — Human Clinical Leptospirosis

Wimalasiri Uluwattage

National Hospital, Galle, Sri Lanka

2:30–2:45 PM

Clinical Leptospirosis: A Malaysian Perspective

Assoc Prof Dr Yazli Yuhana Infectious Diseases Service KPJ Healthcare University and Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital, Malaysia

2:45–3:00 PM

Clinical Predictors of Fatal Outcomes in Human Leptospirosis, Thailand, 2015-2024

Umaporn Limothai (Thailand)

3:00–3:15 PM

Qualitative analysis reveals clinical complexities in diagnosing and managing leptospirosis in New Zealand

Dr Tanya Maria Quin (New Zealand)

3:15–3:30 PM

Gene sequence diversity of key pathogen-associated molecular patterns among clinical isolates of Leptospira in Sri Lanka

Chamila Kappagoda (Sri Lanka)

3:30–3:45 PM

Persistence of serological response following leptospirosis - A longitudinal study

Dilrukshi Menike (Sri Lanka)

3:45–4:00 PM

Waning of Naturally Acquired Anti-Leptospira Antibodies During Pregnancy: A Longitudinal Cohort Analysis

Janith Warnasekara (Sri Lanka)

4:30–4:45 PM

Chronic sequelae following leptospirosis in Aotearoa New Zealand: a nationwide cohort study

Shahista Nisa (New Zealand)

4:45–5:00 PM

Direct and Indirect Costs Incurred by Clinically Diagnosed Leptospirosis Patients Admitted to the Teaching Hospital, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Manojika Jayasinghe (Sri Lanka)

5:00–5:05 PM

Leptospirosis: A Leading Identified Cause of Acute Undifferentiated Fever Presenting as Community-acquired Sepsis at Udon Thani Hospital, Thailand

Atiwit Loucharoen (Thailand)

5:05–5:10 PM

Validating a simple score to predict severe leptospirosis

Patrick Rosengren (Australia)

5:10–5:15 PM

Characterization of Epithelial and Endothelial Junctional Proteins in Human Leptospirosis and Experimental Models of Leptospira Infection

Milena Carvalho Carneiro (Brazil)

5:15–5:20 PM

Participation of the Complement System in Experimental Leptospirosis-Associated Pulmonary Hemorrhagic Syndrome

Lara Rodrigues da Silva (Brazil)

5:20–5:25 PM

Whole-Genome Sequencing and Pathogenicity Characterization Reveal the Virulence of Leptospira interrogans Isolated from a Greater Bandicoot Rat (Bandicota indica) in a Leptospirosis Hotspot of Southern India

Prajakta Prashant Bokade (India)

5:25–5:30 PM

Phylogenetic and functional evolution of copper homeostasis systems in Leptospira: evidence for a regulator switch between CueR and CsoR

Gregoire Davignon (New Caledonia)

5:30–5:35 PM

Transcriptional Regulatory Model of Biofilm-Associated Regulons in Leptospira biflexa

Larissa Vasconcelos (Brazil)

5:35–5:50 PM

Q&A

8:30–8:45 AM

Deciphering Host Adaptation and Virulence Mechanisms in Leptospira interrogans

Mathieu Picardeau (France)

8:45–9:00 AM

Role of NLRP3 activation in host-specific immune responses against Leptospira interrogans

David A. Haake (USA)

9:00–9:15 AM

Expansion of WC1⁺CD8⁺ γδ T cells, upregulation of immune effector and activation genes, together with reduced CD14⁺ monocyte responses, characterize immunity in cattle experimentally challenged with Leptospira kirschneri serovar Grippotyphosa

Marcella Mori (Belgium)

9:15–9:30 AM

Signaling and regulatory network for host adaptation in Leptospira

Nadia BENAROUDJ (France)

9:30–9:45 AM

Distinct Molecular Trajectories Underlie a Shared Lethal Outcome in Experimental Acute Leptospirosis

Sreekumari Rajeev (USA)

9:45–10:00 AM

Deciphering the C-degron tag encoded by a small stable RNA A (SsrA) in facilitating protein degradation by the Leptospira interrogans caseinolytic protease machinery ClpAP1P2

Kumar Manish (India)

10:00–10:15 AM

Systems Biology Reveals the Central Role of Glucose in Leptospira Adaptation to Host Temperature

Ryo Ozuru (Japan)

10:15–10:30 AM

Proteasome-dependent aberrant collective cell migration in Leptospira-infected renal epithelial cells

Claudia Toma (Japan)

12:00–12:30 PM

Keynote Address — Immune cell responses to Leptospira infection in the murine host Maria Gomes-Solecki

Professor, Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, UTHSC, USA

12:30–12:45 PM

Leptospirosis diagnostic capacity in Malaysia: From History to Integrative Genomic and Serological Tools

Murnihayati Hassan (Malaysia)

Bacteriology Unit, Infectious Disease Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia

12:45–1:00 PM

When the Reference Standard Is Imperfect: A Comparative Evaluation of IgM ELISA and MAT for Leptospirosis Diagnosis

Shikha Tiwari (India)

2:00–2:05 PM

Development and validation of a multiplex real-time PCR assay for simultaneous detection and speciation of pathogenic Leptospira in New Zealand

Stuart Littlejohn (New Zealand)

2:05–2:10 PM

Expanding the Diagnostic Toolbox for High-Throughput Bovine Leptospirosis Diagnosis: Belgian Case-Control Validation of Competitive ELISAs for Grippotyphosa and Australis Serovars

Michaël Van Nimmen (Belgium)

2:10–2:15 PM

Development of a Gold Nanoparticle-Based Electrochemical Aptasensor for Rapid Detection of Pathogenic Leptospira in Canine Urine.

Nouraldin K.N Houbri (Thailand)

2:15–2:20 PM

Dissecting cell surface protein diversity to enhance leptospiral vaccine efficacy

Abbie Hinds (United Kingdom)

2:20–2:25 PM

Integrative In silico and In vitro approaches toward a Multi-Epitope Subunit Vaccine against Leptospirosis

Jemima John, Bhairavi Balasubramanian (India)

2:25–2:30 PM

Efficacy and safety treatment outcomes of importance to patients and healthcare providers for a future leptospirosis trial: A qualitative study

Nathaniel Lee (Japan)

2:30–2:35 PM

A Next-Generation Multi-Epitope Vaccine Against Leptospirosis: From Molecular Characterization to Immune Activation

Bothammal Palanisamy (India)

2:35–2:50 PM

Q&A

2:50–3:05 PM

Evaluation of five Leptospira real-time PCR assays widely used for diagnostics

Ahmed Ahmed Ahmed (Netherlands)

3:05–3:20 PM

Development of Diagnostic Peptides leveraging Multi-Stage Subtractive Proteomics-driven Target Selection for early detection of Leptospirosis

Sambandam Ravikumar (India)

3:20–3:35 PM

Aptamer Based Molecular Diagnostic methods for Leptospirosis

M. Ramya (India)

3:35–3:50 PM

Deciphering Leptospira-Host Interactions through Integrated Multi-omics: From Virulence Factor Discovery to Vaccine Design

Syed M. Faisal (India)

3:50–4:05 PM

Development of a core outcome and measurement set for international leptospirosis trials (COS-LEP)

Nathaniel Lee (Japan)

4:05–4:20 PM

β-lactam antibiotics trigger TLR-dependent Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction in leptospirosis

Catherine Werts (France)

4:20–4:35 PM

Role of N-Acetylcysteine in Targeting Tubular Injury and Oxidative Stress in Leptospirosis: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial

Selfie, SPPD, FINASIM, MARS (Indonesia)