2.1. Study Area

Cordoba is a region in the Caribbean Sea on the northern coast of Colombia. Monteria has an altitude range of 20-100 m above sea level, is covered by tropical dry forest vegetation, has an average temperature of 24°C, and receives between 1000 and 2000 mm³ of rain per year. Cordoba is a state devoted to agriculture and livestock production. Geographically the department of Córdoba can be divided into two regions based on ecosystems, separated by the mountains (Serranía) of San Jerónimo and influenced by its two main rivers: the Sinú and San Jorge. These two rivers, their valleys, and the mountain range that separates them create habitat conditions that could influence the ecology and distribution of Leptospira serogroups in the department of Cordoba.