1. Causative Agent
Incubation Period
Mode of Transmission
Clinical Manifestations
Diagnosis and Treatment
Nursing Management

2.  Also called as Weils Disease, Mud Fever, Trench
Fever, Flood Fever, Spiroketal Jaundice, Japanese Seven
Days Fever
 It is a worldwide zoonotic disease caused by bacteria
leptospires.
 Rat is the main host to leptospirosis although
pigs, cattles, rabbits, hare, skunk and other wild
animals serve as reservoir hosts.
 It is an occupational disease affecting
veterinarians, miners, farmers, sewer workers, etc.

3.  1. Leptospiremic phase- leptospires are present in the
blood and Cerebro Spinal Fluid (CSF). Onset of signs
and symptoms are abrupt with fever, headache,
myalgia, nausea, vomiting, cough and chest pain.
 2. Immune phase- correlates with the appearance of
circulation IgM.

4.  Leptospira interrogans – gram negative, fine spiral
bacteria 0.1um in diameter and 6-20 um in length.
Locomotion is achieved in a fluid medium by a
whirling motion around the longitudinal axis and by a
serpentine or corkscrew motion in a semisolid
medium.

5.  Ranges from 7-19 days, with average of 10 days.

6.  Entry of the leptospira bacteria
 through wounds when in contact
 with flood waters, vegetation,
 moist soil contaminated with the
 urine of infected animals,
 especially rats.

8.  Fever
 Non-specific symptoms of muscle pain, headache
 Severe cases result to liver involvement, kidney failure
or brain involvement. Thus some cases may have
yellowish body discoloration, dark-colored urine and
light stools, low urine output, severe headache.

9.  By presenting clinical manifestations
 Culture
 Blood and CSF examination during the first week
 Urine examination on the 10th day

10.  Antibiotics duly prescribed by a physician.
 Penicillins and other B- lactam antibiotics (PCN at 2M
units q6H IM/IV)
 Tetracycline (Doxycycline at 100mg q12H PO)
 Erythromycin (500mg q12H PO) – if allergic to Penicillin
 Early recognition and treatment within two days of
illness to prevent complications of leptospirosis, so
early consultation is advised.

11.  Provide education to clients telling them to avoid
swimming or wading in potentially contaminated
water or flood water.
 Use of proper protection like boots and gloves when
work requires exposure to contaminated water.
 Drain potentially contaminated water when possible.

12.  Control rats in the household by using rat traps or rat
poison, maintaining cleanliness in the house.
 Isolate the patient and concurrent disinfection of
soiled articles.
 Report all cases of leptospirosis.
 Chemoprophylaxis can be done in a group of high risk
infected hosts.