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Leptospirosis
(Weil's disease)
(taken directly from DoH)
What is it? | How do you get it? | What are the symptons? | When do syptoms start? | What is the treatment? | How can I avoid it?
Leptospirosis is a disease caused by a microscopic spirochete (a type of
bacterium) called Leptospira. The disease is transmitted to people when
they come into contact with the urine of animals infected with the spirochete.
Many wild and domestic (tame) mammals, particularly dogs, rats, and livestock,
are infected with Leptospira spirochetes. The term Weil's disease applies
to severe cases of leptospirosis.
You can get leptospirosis indirectly by swimming or wading in fresh water
puddles, ponds, or streams contaminated with animal urine, or by coming
into contact with wet soil or plants contaminated with animal urine. You
can also get it by direct exposure to urine, blood, or tissues from an
infected animal. The spirochete can enter through broken skin or through
the soft tissues on the insides of the mouth, nose, or eyes.
The symptoms include fever, headache, chills, sweating, muscle pain, red
eyes (conjunctivitis), and vomiting. Occasionally, yellowing (jaundice)
of the skin and the whites of the eyes and a rash may also occur. The symptoms
may last from a few days to several weeks. Although deaths have occurred
with this disease, they are rare. In some persons, the infection can be
mild and without obvious symptoms.
The symptoms usually start 7 to 14 days after being infected, but the onset
can range from 2 to 20 days.
A doctor can prescribe medications to treat leptospirosis. If left untreated,
the patient can develop kidney, liver, blood, and nervous tissue damage.
In rare cases, even death may occur.
- Do not swim or wade in freshwater streams or ponds, especially when you have open cuts or sores. Swimming with the head underwater also increases the risk of infection through the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Do not drink pond or stream water without boiling or chemically treating it.
- Keep catchment water-collection areas free from overhanging tree branches and prevent access to these areas by animals.
- Control rats, mice, and mongooses in areas around the home and work site with trapping and poisoning, and by removing their nests.
- Wear protective clothing including gloves, boots, long-sleeved shirts, and pants when clearing shrubs or grass, or working in wet soil where leptospirosis is a problem.
- Wear gloves when disposing of dead animals and when gutting (cleaning) livestock or game animals.
- Drain areas that have still, standing water.
- Vaccinate farm animals and pets.