Leptospirosis or Weil's disease is known as a disease of bacterial origin, which represents a fairly important problem for public he alth due to its distribution throughout the world, and the fact that it has the ability to manifest its symptoms both in humans and in hundreds of wild and domestic animals. Its appearance is generally related to exposure to contaminated food that allows transmission from an infected animal to humans, although under certain circumstances, its appearance may be more likely in other situations. Do you want to know what measures you should take if you suspect that you are or know someone who may be infected with this disease? We invite you to continue reading our ONsalus article on leptospirosis: symptoms, contagion and treatment
Weil's disease: causes of leptospirosis
Sometimes also called Weil's disease, leptospirosis is a condition caused by bacteria of the genus leptospira, after which the disease is named. The bacteria that cause leptospirosis have the ability to survive hosting in humans and in a wide variety of animals ranging from farm animals such as cows and pigs, animals wild animals such as rats and even domestic animals such as dogs, and may even show symptoms in these animals.
The bacteria that cause leptospirosis have the ability to cross the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, throat and eyes by remaining in contact with these surfaces long enough. In general, the transmission of leptospirosis occurs either through a direct mechanism:
- The person's contact with blood, urine or any infected tissue
- Through the ingestion of food and water contaminated with Leptospira
On the other hand, contagion can also occur through an indirect mechanism which is much more frequent, and involves contact with the skin or mucosa with soil, objects or liquids that are contaminated with urine from infected animals.
Leptospirosis can be observed in both rural and urban areas and depends very much on the he alth status of the population, and usually has a predilection for tropical regions. However, the appearance of leptospirosis outbreaks is more related to the occurrence of natural disasters such as floods, without distinguishing living conditions.
Leptospirosis in humans: symptoms
In some very rare situations, leptospirosis does not produce any symptoms, but it usually produces a clinical picture that is generally characterized by two phases, of which the second phase is always more severe.
During the first days in which the disease manifests itself, the affected person may feel symptoms very similar to those of a cold, characterized by:
- Fever
- Shaking chills
- Headache
- Muscle pains.
After this first phase, the way in which the disease manifests itself in its second phase can have different degrees of severity:
- Anicteric Leptospirosis: This is the most frequent form, and also the mildest manifestation of the disease. The same symptoms mentioned above are present, usually more pronounced. Digestive symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea also begin to appear, and aseptic meningitis occurs in most infected people. After 4 to 9 days the patient can fully recover, but there is a risk of reappearance of symptoms.
- Icteric leptospirosis or Weil's disease: This form of leptospirosis is much less common but also much more serious. Its name is due to the fact that there is an increase in the levels of bilirubin, producing a yellow coloration of the skin and the conjunctiva of the eyes known as jaundice, which is also accompanied by inflammation and pain in the liver. Another characteristic of this form of leptospirosis is kidney failure, which can be very mild or extremely severe. Hemorrhages can be observed at different levels of the body, which are manifested in the skin with the appearance of bruises and red dots, nasal bleeding, hemoptysis and blood in the stool. In addition, there may be impaired circulatory function, altered blood components, and pulmonary involvement.
Treatment of human Leptospirosis
The diagnosis of Leptospirosis is made through a blood test that seeks to identify the bacteria or the antibodies it generates the body to fight it. When a person has an acute episode of fever, and is exposed to conditions where there may be greater exposure to the bacteria (a farm worker, for example), leptospirosis should be suspected.
The treatment of the patient depends a lot on the severity of the disease. In milder cases, the patient may be prescribed antibiotic medication to reduce the bacterial load, and the consumption of anti-inflammatory analgesics to reduce symptoms. The antibiotics that are usually indicated are penicillin or one of its family, and doxycycline in case of penicillin allergies, and the analgesics are usually ibuprofen, diclofenac or naproxen. The mildest patients do not need special care, so they can comply with the indicated treatment at home.
In the most severe cases, treatment is complicated, since liver and kidney function must be assessed. These cases must be managed in a hospital setting and many times these patients are admitted to the intensive care unit. Antibiotic medication should be continued, but the aforementioned analgesics should not be used because they may increase the risk of bleeding; paracetamol is given instead.
Prevention of Leptospirosis
Although eradicating leptospirosis is a practically impossible task due to the wide distribution of the causative bacteria among different animals, there are certain measures that can be taken to reduce the risk of contracting the disease:
- In the first place, reduce the risk of contact with rodents and their biological waste, since these are one of the main cause of the disease. This can be achieved by reinforcing hygiene measures and combating the invasion of rats and mice in our home and surroundings.
- Domestic and farm animals can be vaccinated against the disease to reduce the risk of their infection, and thus also reduce the risk to humans. This is a measure that is recommended mainly for people who live in endemic areas.
- People who are exposed to the disease due to working conditions, such as veterinarians, field workers, public toilets or those who work with sewage in cities, should be adequately protected by the use of gloves, face masks and glasses to avoid contact with liquids or any substance that may contain the bacteria.
- Something as simple as improving the way food is sanitized can greatly reduce the risk of suffering from this disease. Avoiding this disease can be simple, as long as you always keep in mind the importance of optimal hygiene measures.
This article is merely informative, at ONsalus.com we do not have the authority to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to go to a doctor in the event of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
