Leptospirosis Flashcards
1
Q
What is leptospirosis also known as?
A
Weil’s disease
But it is usually reserved for the severe 10% of cases that are associated with jaundice.
2
Q
What is the cause of Leptosporosis?
A
The spirochaete Leptospira interrogans or Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae.
3
Q
Who get’s Leptosporosis and how is it spread?
A
Sewage workers, farmers, vets or people who work in abattoir’s.
It is spread by contact with infected rat urine.
4
Q
What are the clinical features of Leptospirosis?
A
- Fever
- Flu-like symptoms
- Renal failure (seen in 50% of patients)
- Jaundice
- Subconjunctival haemorrhage
- Headache, may herald the onset of meningitis
(If you see leptosporosis always think HIGH RISK for RENAL FAILURE & LIVER FAILURE)
5
Q
What is the management of leptospirosis?
A
High-dose benzylpenicillin or doxycycline
6
Q
- A 35-year-old man presented with high fever, headache and mild jaundice on returning from a holiday in Spain.
- As part of a group of 20 he had visited hillside forests and went fishing in mountain streams.
Which of the following organisms is most likely to be responsible for his illness?
- Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease)
- Legionella pneumophila
- Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae
- Mycoplasma pneumoniae
- Pneumococcus
A
Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae
- Leptospirosis, or Weil’s disease, is transmitted to man by animals, including rodents (rat urine and faeces), skunks, foxes, cattle, dogs.
- The disease is characterised by the following:
- Jaundice
- Fever
- Oliguria
- Headache
- Myalgia
- Haemorrhagic tendencies with purpura or petechiae, and
- Enlargement of liver and spleen.
