Leptospirosis

Question 1

What causes Leptospirosis?

Answer 1

is caused by thespirochaete Leptospira interrogans

Question 2

What is the epidemiology of leptospirosis ?

Answer 2

Commonly seen in sewage workers - CONTACT WITH RAT URINE

FARM WORKERS

VETS

People who work in abattoir ( slaughter house )

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on an international level, leptospirosis is far more common in the tropics so should be considered in the returning traveller

Question 3

What are the early phase clinical feature ?

Answer 3

Last around a week :
Flu like symptoms - such as fever
Subconjictival suffusion - redness

Bilateral conjunctivitis,
bilateral calf pains

Question 4

What are the second immune phase clinical features in Leptospirosis

Answer 4

WEIL’s disease !
- acute kidney injury (seen in 50% of patients)
hepatitis: jaundice, hepatomegaly
aseptic meningitis

Question 5

What are the primary diagnostics for LEPTOspirosis ?

Answer 5

serology: antibodies to Leptospira develop after about 7 days

PCR

culture growth may take several weeks so limits usefulness in diagnosis
blood and CSF samples are generally positive for the first 10 days

urine cultures become positive during the second week of illness

Question 6

Treatment of choice in Leptospirosis when having meningitis or WEILS disease

Answer 6

high-dose benzylpenicillin or doxycycline