Leptospirosis / Zoonotic Diseases

"Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals. It is caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira. In humans, it can cause a wide range of symptoms, some of which may be mistaken for other diseases. Some infected persons, however, may have no symptoms at all.Without treatment, Leptospirosis can lead to kidney damage, meningitis (inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord), liver failure, respiratory distress, and even death."
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

RESOURCES

STUDIES, REPORTS, PAPERS, WEBSITES

Leptospirosis - Fact Sheet
World Health Organization
Highlights

What is leptospirosis?
How many pathogenic serovars exists and how area they characterized?
Which animals are considered as reservoirs of leptospirosis?
Why is human leptospirosis neglected and underreported?
What is the mode of transmission of leptospirosis?
What are the clinical manifestations of leptospirosis?
How long is the incubation period?
Why is leptospirosis underdiagnosed?
What is the case-fatality rate due to leptospirosis?
Immunology and diagnostics
Clinical case management
Prevention and Control

Diseases Directly Transmitted By Rodents
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Highlights

LeptospirosisRodent(s) involved Rodents and other animals
1. Eating food or drinking water contaminated with urine from infected animals
2. Contact through the skin or mucous membranes (such as inside the nose) with water or soil that is contaminated with the urine from infected animals
3. Additional InformationLeptospirosis
AgentBacteria
Where the disease occurs Worldwide
How the disease spreads

Leptospirosis
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Infection - How do People get Leptospirosis?
Signs and Symptoms - What are the signs and symptoms?
Risk of Exposure - Who is at risk?
Prevention - How can it be prevented?
Treatment - How is it treated?
Prevent Leptospirosis in Pets

Major Emerging Vector-borne Zoonotic Diseases of Public Health Importance in Canada
Emerging Microbes Infection 2015 Jun; 4(6): e33.
Published online 2015 Jun 10.
Highlights

"In Canada, the emergence of vector-borne diseases may occur via international movement and subsequent establishment of vectors and pathogens, or via northward spread from endemic areas in the USA. Re-emergence of endemic vector-borne diseases may occur due to climate-driven changes to their geographic range and ecology."
"Increased surveillance for emerging pathogens and vectors and coordinated efforts among sectors and jurisdictions will aid in early detection and timely public health response."
"Enteric zoonoses are those that cause gastrointestinal illness, such as Salmonellosis, Campylobacter, and Giardia infections, and are generally transmitted through contaminated food or water, while the category of ‘non-enteric zoonoses' is a catch-all grouping of diseases that can be divided generally into vector-borne diseases (such as Lyme disease, West Nile virus (WNV), plague), directly transmitted zoonoses (such as Brucellosis, rabies, influenza, and Hantaviruses), environmentally mediated zoonoses (such as Anthrax, Echinococcosis, Leptospirosis), and food-borne parasitic infections (such as Toxoplasmosis, Trichinellosis), although some may have more than one pathway of transmission."
"Given the rapid spread of tick vectors associated with the rise in tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease in many parts of Canada, and the potential for climate-driven re-emergence of mosquito-borne diseases such as WNV, public health vigilance in Canada will benefit from a One Health approach that emphasizes multi-sectoral and multidisciplinary coordination among human and animal health stakeholders. A coordinated approach will enable the development of informed risk assessments and promote the early detection of and response to emerging infectious diseases of public health significance in Canada. "

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