Leptospirosis - Symptoms, Causes, Images, and Treatment Options

Diseases

Highlights & Basics

Key Highlights

Leptospirosis is re-emerging as a result of increased international travel and climate change. Outbreaks have been associated with flooding and natural disasters.
In developing countries, infections more commonly occur in rural subsistence farmers and urban slum dwellers. In developed nations, infections are associated with occupational exposures, water sports, and flooding. Higher rates have been reported in tropical areas during the rainy season and temperate regions during late summer.
Can present with an extensive spectrum of clinical manifestations ranging from subclinical illness, in approximately 90% of cases, to severe disease forms, which include renal failure, pulmonary hemorrhage, and respiratory failure and have a case fatality of 5% to >50%.
Treatment includes antibiotics and supportive therapy.

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Definition

Epidemiology

Etiology

Pathophysiology

Images

Microscopic agglutination test with live antigen using darkfield microscopy technique
Silver stain on liver biopsy showing leptospires

Citations

Key Articles

Levett P. Leptospirosis. In: Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's principles and practice of infectious diseases. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Churchill Livingstone; 2006:2495-500.
Vijayachari P, Sugunan AP, Shriram AN. Leptospirosis: an emerging global, public health problem. J Biosci. 2008 Nov;33(4):557-69.[Abstract]
World Health Organization. Human leptospirosis: guidance for diagnosis, surveillance and control. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2003.[Full Text]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS). Leptospirosis (Leptospira interrogans) 2013 case definition. Apr 2021 [internet publication].[Full Text]

Other Online Resources

CDC: leptospirosis (Leptospira interrogans) 2013 case definition
CDC: leptospirosis

Referenced Articles

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