Leptospirosis and Risk Factors: A Review
Year: 2025
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease with epidemic potential, especially after heavy rainfall, caused by a bacterium called Leptospira, affecting humans and animals. Leptospirosis occurs worldwide, but its incidence is the highest in tropical regions. Estimates indicate that there are more than 500,000 cases of leptospirosis each year worldwide. Several stains of Leptospira can induce an infection state primarily in various animal hosts such as rodents, cattle, and domestic animals, though human beings operate as secondary hosts. Therefore, Leptospirosis exhibits a broad diversity of clinical symptoms, beginning as a modest sickness and progressing to a more critical and deadly disease. Leptospirosis’s symptoms mirror several disorders, such as dengue, influenza, as well as various viral hemorrhagic diseases. Consequently, a precise diagnosis both medical and biological tests is required when symptoms first occurred, primarily in outbreak situations. As such, in the present review, we describe the mode of transmission, specific symptoms and examples of leptospirosis outbreaks around the world. Despite all the preventive measures, leptospirosis remains a significant public health concern. Accordingly, we have highlighted the need to develop effective vaccines against leptospirosis for humans and animals.
Source: Infectious diseases
Authors: Marie-Françoise Doursout, Claudia Ferreira, Joselito S. Balingit, Pooja Shivshankar, Yann A. Meunier
Language: English
Subfield: Parasitology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4408447170