Leptospirosis - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Leptospirosis is a bacterial zoonotic disease caused by spirochaetes of the genus Leptospira that affects humans and a wide range of animals, including mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. Leptospirosis, also known as canicola fever, hemorrhagic jaundice, infectious jaundice, mud fever, spirochetal jaundice, swamp fever, swineherd's disease, caver's flu or sewerman's flu, is a bacterial infection resulting from exposure to the Leptospira interrogans bacterium. In humans it causes a wide range of symptoms, and some infected persons may have no symptoms at all. Leptospirosis can be transmitted by rats as well as by skunks, opossums, raccoons, foxes, and other vermin The infection is commonly transmitted to humans by allowing fresh water that has been contaminated by animal urine to come in contact with unhealed breaks in the skin , eyes or with the mucous membranes . The 40 to 100 infections reported every year in the United States occur mainly in the late summer and early fall. Because mild leptospirosis typically causes vague, flu-like symptoms, many infections probably go unreported.

Leptospirosis is a potentially serious illness that can affect many parts of the body. There are many different types of leptospira bacteria , each tends to be associated with a specific animal species. The most common ones in the UK are Leptospira hardjo, which is found in cattle and Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae, which is associated with rats. The organism enters the body when mucous membranes or abraded skin come in contact with contaminated environmental sources. the disease is not treated, the patient could develop kidney damage, meningitis (inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord), liver failure, and respiratory distress. In rare cases death occurs. There is an acute form of human infection known as Weil's Disease, where the patient suffers from jaundice, though this term is often (incorrectly) used to describe any case of infection. Although leptospirosis is an occupational disease of farmers and sewer and slaughterhouse workers, most people become infected while engaging in outdoor activities such as swimming or wading in contaminated water Leptospirosis is caused by spiral-shaped bacteria of the genus Leptospira , (referred to as leptospires) which infect a variety of wild and domestic animals. Leptospirosis is found all over the world, including in the UK, however it is primarily a disease of tropical and subtropical regions and it is uncommon in temperate climates. Leptospires are naturally aquatic organisms and are found in fresh water, damp soil, vegetation, and mud.

Causes of Leptospirosis

There are various factors which give rise to the disease Leptospirosis , but here we mentioned some of the common causes:

• Leptospirosis is caused by Leptospira interrogans a corkscrew-shaped bacterium (spirochete).
• Pet dogs, domesticated live stock, rainwater catchment systems, and infestation by infected rodents.
• Leptospirosis is caused by exposure to the bacteria, which can be found in fresh water contaminated by animal urine.
• Farmers, ranchers, abattoir workers, trappers, veterinarians, loggers, sewer workers, rice field workers, and military personnel
• Fresh water swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and trail biking in warm areas.

Symptoms of Leptospirosis

Some of the common sign and symptoms of the disease Leptospirosis are as follows:

• Sore throat.
• Diarrhea.
• Fever.
• Conjunctivitis.
• Nausea.
• Abdominal pain.
• Joint aches.
• Headache.
• Enlarged lymph glands.
• Dry cough.

Treatment of Leptospirosis

Find effective treatment methods of treating Leptospirosis :

• Penicillins, doxycycline, tetracyclines, chloramphenicol, and erythromycin can be given to treat leptospirosis. Supportive care needs to be given in complicated cases.
• The antibiotics of choice are penicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline and erythromycin. Kidney dialysis may be necessary in some cases.
• Medication or other treatment for pain, fever, vomiting, fluid loss, bleeding, mental changes, and low blood pressure may be provided. Patients with kidney failure will require hemodialysis to remove waste products from the blood.
• The treatment of leptospirosis involves high doses of antibiotics. Antibiotic treatment is most effective when initiatedearly in the course of the illness.
• Patients with severe illness will require hospitalization for treatment and monitoring.
• Supportive therapy and careful management of renal, hepatic, hematologic, and CNS complications are important.
• Diagnosis is by culturing the organism from the patient's blood, urine or cerebrospinal fluid (which surrounds the brain and spinal cord). or by finding specific antibodies in the blood.