Weil's disease
| Leptospirosis | |
|---|---|
| Synonyms | Field fever, rat catcher's yellows, pretibial fever |
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| Leptospira magnified 200-fold with dark-field microscope | |
| Specialty | Infectious disease |
| Symptoms | None, headaches, muscle pains, fevers |
| Complications | Bleeding from the lungs, meningitis, kidney failure |
| Causes | Leptospira typically spread by rodents |
| Diagnostic method | Testing blood for antibodies against the bacterium or its DNA |
| Similar conditions | Malaria, enteric fever, rickettsiosis, dengue |
| Treatment | Doxycycline, penicillin, ceftriaxone |
| Frequency | ~8.5 million people per year |
| Deaths | Unknown |
| Classification | |
|---|---|
| External resources |
Leptospirosis is an infection caused by corkscrew-shaped bacteria called Leptospira. Signs and symptoms can range from none to mild such as headaches, muscle pains, and fevers; to severe with bleeding from the lungs or meningitis. If the infection causes the person to turn yellow, have kidney failure and bleeding, it is then known as Weil's disease. If it causes a lot of bleeding into the lungs then it is known as severe pulmonary hemorrhage syndrome.
Up to 13 different genetic types of Leptospira may cause disease in humans. It is transmitted by both wild and domestic animals. The most common animals that spread the disease are rodents. It is often transmitted by animal urine or by water or soil containing animal urine coming into contact with breaks in the skin, eyes, mouth, or nose. In the developing world the disease most commonly occurs in farmers and poor people who live in cities. In the developed world it most commonly occurs in those involved in outdoor activities in warm and wet areas of the world. Diagnosis is typically by looking for antibodies against the bacterium or finding its DNA in the blood.
Efforts to prevent the disease include protective equipment to prevent contact when working with potentially infected animals, washing after this contact, and reducing rodents in areas people live and work. The antibiotic doxycycline, when used in an effort to prevent infection among travellers, is of unclear benefit. Vaccines for animals exist for certain type of Leptospira which may decrease the risk of spread to humans. Treatment if infected is with antibiotics such as: doxycycline, penicillin, or ceftriaxone. Weil's disease and severe pulmonary haemorrhage syndrome result in death rates greater than 10% and 50%, respectively, even with treatment.
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