
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions β written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Leptospirosis history and symptoms
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Clinical symptoms of leptospirosis are very wide, with mild anicteric presentation at one end to severe leptospirosis with severe jaundice and multiple organ involvement. Classic presentation of leptospirosis is a biphasic illness and the onset of symptoms within 2β30 days (incubation period) of exposure to the bacteria. Serious symptoms may manifest earlier on Days 4β6 of the illness depending on the type of pathogen and host immunological status.[1]
Symptoms
Symptoms
In humans, Leptospirosis can cause a wide range of symptoms, including:[2][3]
Common Symtoms
- Fever: Moderate to severe fever with chills.
- Myalgia: Characterestic of leptospirosis due to involvement of calf, abdominal & lumbosacral muscles.
- Red eyes
- Headache: usually throbbing or retro-orbital headache not relieved by analgesics
- Cough & chest pain seen in patients involving lungs
- Nausea and vomiting
- Jaundice
Less Common Symptoms
Clinical Presentation
Clinical Presentation
| Acute phase | Immune phase | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||
| Anicteric leptospirosis | Icteric leptospirosis | Severe leptospirosis | |
|
Sever form of leptospirosis with organ failure including liver and kidney
involvement is known as Weil’s disease.
| ||
References
References
- β Faine, S (1982). Guidelines for the control of leptospirosis. Geneva Albany, N.Y: World Health Organization Obtainable from WHO Publication Centre USA. ISBNΒ 924170067X.
- β Heath CW, Alexander AD, Galton MM (1965). “Leptospirosis in the United States. Analysis of 483 cases in man, 1949, 1961”. N Engl J Med. 273 (17): 915-22 concl. doi:10.1056/NEJM196510212731706. PMIDΒ 5319290.
- β Perrocheau A, Perolat P (1997). “Epidemiology of leptospirosis in New Caledonia (South Pacific): a one-year survey”. Eur J Epidemiol. 13 (2): 161β7. PMIDΒ 9084999.
- β Forbes AE, Zochowski WJ, Dubrey SW, Sivaprakasam V (2012). “Leptospirosis and Weil’s disease in the UK”. QJM. 105 (12): 1151β62. doi:10.1093/qjmed/hcs145. PMIDΒ 22843698.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Venkata Sivakrishna Kumar Pulivarthi M.B.B.S [2]
