Leptospirosis in the tropics and in travelers.
Leptospirosis, caused by spirochetes of the genus Leptospira, has increasingly been recognized to affect travelers and residents in tropical settings. A zoonotic disease, leptospirosis is transmitted to humans through environmental surface waters contaminated by the urine of chronically infected mammals. Outcome of infection varies, ranging from acute febrile illness (including self-resolving undifferentiated fever) to aseptic meningitis to a fulminant syndrome of jaundice, oliguric renal failure, pulmonary hemorrhage, and refractory shock. Hospitalized cases have mortality rates as high as 25%. A recent clinical trial showed that third-generation cephalosporin is as effective as doxycycline and penicillin in the treatment of acute disease. Doxycycline is effective in preventing leptospirosis in travelers. No protective vaccine is currently available.
Ricaldi
Jessica N
JN
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, 0640, Cellular and Molecular Medicine-East, Room 2052, La Jolla, CA 92093-0640, USA.
Vinetz
Joseph M
JM