Essay On Leptospirosis

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Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis is disease that is seen worldwide in both humans and animals. Leptospirosis can affect most mammals and has a multitude of clinical signs or symptoms and has varying degrees of infectivity. It can be tricky to diagnose, can be fatal, and has the potential of infecting humans. Leptospirosis is a disease that is becoming increasingly prominent in the world and has even been causing epidemics in countries because it is frequently misunderstood. For these reasons alone it is vital to know how to help diagnose, treat, and prevent this disease in our veterinary patients.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease caused by leptospiral spirochetes. They are flexible thin bacteria that are in the shape of spirals and have hooked ends. They are motile bacteria that …show more content…

People and animals are infected after being in contact with the urine of an infected person or animal. This includes being in contact contaminated water, bedding, soil, and food.1 The pathogenesis of Leptospirosis is quite simple, the Leptospires that are shed by an infected animal or person raid the body after entering through mucous membranes or open skin.3 The incubation period can vary from a few days to a couple weeks depending on the amount of bacteria that has invaded the body. In severe infections, the incubation period is shortened and in mild infections it can take the bacteria significantly more time to cause clinical signs. The severity of the disease also varies by the serovar and by the infected patient.3 After the incubation period, the leptospires circulate in the peripheral blood and most commonly replicate in the kidneys, liver, and lungs. This replication is what can cause severe complications in the body systems of animals that are infected with Leptospirosis. The amount of damage causes is dependent on the immunity of the infected animal and the how virulent the bacteria

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