Common initial symptoms of leptospirosis include fever, severe headache, sore muscles, chills, vomiting, and red eyes. Symptoms usually come on suddenly. These symptoms can mimic other diseases, such as influenza, and diagnosis is often difficult. People with leptospirosis may have some, or all of these symptoms.
Humans can become infected through: Contact with urine (or other body fluids, except saliva) from infected animals. Contact with water, soil, or food contaminated with the urine of infected animals.
Leptospirosis is spread mainly by the urine of infected animals and is generally not transmitted from person to person.
Without treatment, Leptospirosis can lead to kidney damage, meningitis (inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord), liver failure, respiratory distress, and even death.
People may pass the bacteria in their urine for about 1 month, although some people may pass it for as long as 5 months. People can also get leptospirosis from other infected people, but this is rare. Leptospirosis can be treated with antibiotics and other medicine.
It rarely lasts more than a week. But about 10% of the time, when you have a severe form of leptospirosis, you'll get better, but then get sick again. This is called Weil's disease and it can cause much more serious issues, like chest pain and swollen arms and legs.
After five to seven days of illness, leptospires may also be recovered from urine for up to 14 days or more after symptom onset. Isolation can be difficult and can require up to 16 weeks even in experienced laboratories.
Leptospirosis and Rodents
Leptospira bacteria enter into the bloodstream through open wounds or mucous membranes found in the mouth, eyes, and nose, resulting in disease. The bacteria can also be transmitted through inhalation of contaminated air particles.
Leptospirosis is an infectious disease spread by contaminated water. Leptospirosis is an infection caused by a group of bacteria called Leptospira. It is often mild but can be fatal. It is a zoonotic infection, which means it spreads between animals and people.
The primary mode of transmission of leptospirosis from pets to humans is through direct or indirect contact with contaminated animal tissues, organs, or urine. In some instances, shedding of leptospires in the urine may persist for as long as 3 months after infection as a result of inadequate or lack of treatment.
The risk of acquiring leptospirosis can be greatly reduced by not swimming or wading in water that might be contaminated with animal urine, or eliminating contact with potentially infected animals.
There are two common ways to develop leptospirosis: Drinking or contact with water (such as by swimming, rafting or kayaking) or soil that has been contaminated by urine or body fluids of infected animals.
First phase (septicemic phase): About 5 to 14 days after infection occurs, fever, headache, sore throat, severe muscle aches in the calves and back, and chills occur suddenly. The eyes usually become very red on the third or fourth day. Some people cough, occasionally bringing up blood, and have chest pain.
Most people recover within a week without treatment, but around 10 percent go on to develop severe leptospirosis.
To diagnose leptospirosis by serologic testing, one blood sample should be obtained upon presentation (ie, an acute sample) and a second sample should be obtained 7 to 14 days after the first antibody test is sent (ie, a convalescent sample). A four-fold change in IgG titer confirms infection.
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
The incubation period is 2–30 days, and illness usually occurs 5–14 days after exposure.
Although leptospirosis is relatively rare in Australia, it is more common in warm and moist regions such as north-eastern NSW and Queensland. Because there are many different strains of Leptospira bacteria, it is possible for someone to be infected with another strain and develop leptospirosis again.
Leptospirosis is treated with antibiotics, such as doxycycline or penicillin, which should be given early in the course of the disease. Intravenous antibiotics may be required for persons with more severe symptoms. Persons with symptoms suggestive of leptospirosis should contact a health care provider.
Leptospirosis consists of two phases: the leptospiremic (acute) phase and the immune (delayed) phase. You may have mild symptoms or no symptoms in the leptospiremic phase. Some people develop severe symptoms in the immune phase.
Although leptospirosis is relatively rare in Australia, it is more common in warm and moist regions such as northeastern NSW and Queensland. About 200 cases are diagnosed nationally each year, although there are likely to be many more undiagnosed cases. Men are affected more often than women.
Wash floors and surfaces with a sanitizing solution like bleach (one-part household bleach and 10 parts water) to kill the bacteria.
The germ can survive in moist conditions outside the host for many days or even weeks. However, they are readily killed by drying, exposure to detergents, disinfectants, heating to 50 C for five minutes and they only survive for a few hours in salt water.
Leptospira live in warm, wet environments like damp grass, standing water, mud, and lakes. Under ideal conditions, the bacteria can survive more than three months outside the body.