What Is Leptospirosis?
Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease that develops due to infection by a bacteria called leptospira. According to information published by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) , around 500,000 cases of this disease occur worldwide each year.
Human-to-human transmission is rare; In general, infection occurs when there is contact with the urine of infected animals, or with environments contaminated with it. To learn more about it, below we detail more about the pathogen and its risks.
Knowing the pathogen that causes leptospirosis
First of all, and as usual, it is convenient to know the microorganism that causes this disease. The bacterium in question is Leptospira interrogans, of the order of the spirochetals.
Due to its elongated, twisted shape and hooked flagella at both ends, it can give the wrong perception that it is a microscopic worm.
However, they are prokaryotic organisms, that is, they only have one cell, so their structural complexity is less than that of any annelid.
A complex life cycle
The leptospira bacterium has as its main reservoirs wild mammals, such as beavers, foxes or raccoons. Transmission is simple, since it is enough to put a wound or mucosa in contact with the urine of the infected animal.
Thus, the human being would be an accidental host of the parasitic bacterium in question; it is not within its life cycle, but it causes a clinical picture.
How does leptospirosis start?
As we have already advanced, there is a high probability of contracting leptospirosis in infected areas, since it is transmitted through urine and can remain active in water or on land for more than four weeks.
According to information from the United States National Library of Medicine , people can contract the disease by coming into contact with water or soil that has been soiled with contaminated urine. There are also risks from direct contact with infected animals.
Once it enters the body through mucous areas or superficial wounds, it multiplies temporarily in various parts of the body, until it finally settles in the kidneys and liver.
Clinical picture
The incubation period is usually around a week to 12 days, and in this first phase symptoms similar to those of the common cold are observed. Depending on the severity and serotype of the bacteria, the disease can be prolonged over time with more severe symptoms. These may include the following:
- Stiff neck.
- Renal insufficiency.
- Jaundice.
- Difficulty breathing.
The illness lasts from a few days to weeks, depending on the severity of each case. Although, for everyone’s peace of mind, the majority of diagnosed patients do not go beyond the first phase; they present mild discomfort or are asymptomatic.
With all the data we have seen exposed, it is natural to suspect which groups are most prone to contracting the disease: communities in low-income countries with access to infected waters.
- An act as simple as an infected wild mammal urinating into a water hole is reason enough to cause an endemic (disease episodes located in small areas) by leptospirosis.
- Floods also promote the expansion of this bacterium, since it can generate water mixtures and increase the contact of the current towards contaminated soils.
Is there to worry about this disease?
Not at the beginning. Although it is true that it is the most extensive zoonotic disease in the world, and it occurs in both developed and developing countries, its incidence is higher in tropical areas with low control over water resources.
At the individual level, people who work with livestock or wild animals, farmers, among others, are risk groups. However, with a series of precautions they do not have to be affected by the disease. After all, bacteria do not enter the body unless dirty hands come into contact with mucous areas, or contaminated water is consumed.
