China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Infections and Their Mimics in Returning Travelers in the Critical Care Unit
Published in Cheston B. Cunha, Burke A. Cunha, Infectious Diseases and Antimicrobial Stewardship in Critical Care Medicine, 2020
Elise Kochoumian, Jonathon Moore, Bushra Mina, Kevin Cahill
Most patients with leptospirosis will recover without residual deficit. However, poor prognostic indicators include older age (>36 years), toxic metabolic encephalopathy, repolarization abnormalities on electrocardiogram, white blood count >12,900/mm3, respiratory insufficiency, and oliguria. Chronic postleptospirosis is a recent well-recognized syndrome. Persistent complaints after acute leptospirosis occur in 30% of patients and include fatigue, myalgia, malaise, headache, and weakness, which can last for more than 24 months in 21% of cases [26].
Prognosis and Impact of Recurrent Uveitis, the Ophthalmic Infection Caused by Leptospira spp.
Published in K. Balamurugan, U. Prithika, Pocket Guide to Bacterial Infections, 2019
Charles Solomon Akino Mercy, Kalimuthusamy Natarajaseenivasan
Human vaccines have not been applied widely in Western countries. Immunization with polyvalent vaccines has been practiced in China and Japan, where large numbers of cases occur in rice field workers. In France, a monovalent vaccine containing serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae is licensed for human use. A vaccine containing serovars Canicola, Icterohaemorrhagiae, and Pomona has been developed recently in Cuba. Vaccines to prevent human leptospirosis are available in some countries, and large-scale clinical trials have been reported from Russia, China, Japan, and Vietnam, but they are serovar specific and require annual boosters. A vaccine against multiple serovars has been developed in Cuba and shown to be 78.1% effective, but it is currently in the early stages of clinic trials and safety testing (Bharti et al. 2003; Dunay et al. 2016). General measures such as rodent and infection control, self-sanitation approach, and avoiding of contaminated water reservoirs can prevent from leptospirosis. Prophylactic antibiotics beneficial for short-term, well-defined exposures such as those involved in military training or recreational sports like swimming, although long-term measure is difficult to practice in tropical countries.
Leptospira
Published in Dongyou Liu, Handbook of Foodborne Diseases, 2018
Tanu Sagar, Nitin Gupta, Rama Chaudhry
Clinical manifestation of leptospirosis mimics other diseases like malaria, dengue, and flu, thus making clinical diagnosis difficult. It ranges in severity from a mild, self-limited febrile illness to a fulminant life-threatening illness. A broad array of organ systems may get involved if disease is not diagnosed in a timely manner, thus reflecting the systemic nature of the infection. Humans acquire infection through abrasions or cuts in the skin or via the conjunctiva. The incubation period is usually 7–14 days but may range from 2 to 30 days. The clinical presentation of leptospirosis is biphasic with an acute leptospiremic phase, which lasts about a week, followed by the immune phase, characterized by resolution of symptoms and appearance of antibodies and excretion of leptospires in the urine [8]. Most of the complications in Leptospira infections are due to localization of leptospires within the tissues during the immune phase, and thus, they occur during the second week of the illness.
Molecular Mimicry between Betaine Aldehyde Dehydrogenase of Leptospira and Retinal Dehydrogenase 1 of Human Lens: A Potential Trigger for Cataract Formation in Leptospiral Uveitis Patients
Published in Ocular Immunology and Inflammation, 2021
Sivakumar Rathinam, Irene Daniel, Dharmalingam Kuppamuthu, Jeya Maheshwari Jayapal
Leptospirosis affects both human and animals. Notably, animals also develop cataract and vision loss. Animal experiments showed a possibility of antigen mimicry between leptospiral antigen and horse lens protein.4 When a pool of leptospiral antigens were inoculated into the horses, the animals develop antibodies that cross-react with the horse lens proteins.4 Based on this study, we hypothesized that the etiopathogenesis of cataract formation in leptospiral uveitis patients could be due to antigenic mimicry. Using a proteomics approach, we identified that the leptospiral uveitis patients harbor antibodies that can recognize the lens proteins, retinal dehydrogenase 1 and crystallins (α and β). As retinal dehydrogenase 1 shares sequence similarity with the leptospiral protein, betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase, molecular mimicry between the leptospiral antigen and the lens protein might be a potential trigger for cataract in leptospiral uveitis patients.
A Cross-Sectional Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Toward Leptospirosis among Rural and Urban Population of a South Indian District
Published in Ocular Immunology and Inflammation, 2021
Sivakumar Rathinam, Rajesh Vedhanayaki, Kandasamy Balagiri
Leptospiral infection is the result of interface between human, infected animals, and the contaminated environment. Close association with animals, tropical climate, and lack of awareness of risk factors lead to rural leptospirosis. Population overgrowth and failures of drainage infrastructure and lack of awareness result in urban disease. As shown in multivariate analysis, the education improved knowledge of the rural residents when compared with urban population. However, the study points to poor attitude and poor practices of both rural and urban population in spite of their educational status. Increasing knowledge about leptospirosis is the key for promoting desired, positive attitude, and practice in the community. Health education should reach the general public, in particular high-risk groups.
Elevated levels of IL-8 in fatal leptospirosis
Published in Pathogens and Global Health, 2020
Wan Shahriman Yushdie Wan Yusoff, Maha Abdullah, Zamberi Sekawi, Fairuz Amran, Muhammad Yazli Yuhana, Niazlin Mohd Taib, Anim Md. Shah, Syafinaz Amin Nordin
The clinical outcome of leptospirosis is highly variable. Most cases are mild, however, there are a significant number of patients with severe medical complications and even death. Mild leptospirosis symptoms include fever, headaches, and myalgia but a small percentage can manifest as conjunctival suffusion, meningitis, rash, jaundice, and renal insufficiency [5,6]. Leptospirosis may progress to Weil’s disease (severe form) exhibiting jaundice, acute renal failure and bleeding with a mortality rate exceeding 10%, or severe pulmonary hemorrhage syndrome (SPHS) with a mortality rate of more than 50% [7–9]. Variation in clinical outcomes has the potential to impede the diagnosis and management of leptospirosis cases. Leptospirosis disease screening uses rapid immunological tests and is confirmed either through a microscopic agglutination test (MAT) or Leptospira antigen detection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) [10].