Leptospirosis: A systematic review

Abstract

Leptospirosis caused by Leptospira interrogans is considered as one of the most important zoonotic infections globally. It affects humans and wide range of animals. It damages various vital organs of the body and can often lead to fatal complications. The various symptoms of leptospirosis are fever, headache, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. It may lead to complications like jaundice, hemorrhage, myocarditis, meningitis and in some cases renal failure. Leptospirosis is mainly caused by rodents which are considered as reservoir hosts for leptospires. The other animals such as mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish are carriers of leptospirosis. Humans acquire leptospirosis accidently by contact with carrier animals or environment contaminated by leptospires. Leptospirosis has a wide geographical distribution including tropical, subtropical and temperate climatic regions. But it is more prevalent in the tropical areas where warm humid conditions and alkaline or neutral soil helps leptospires survive better. This review is an attempt to cover every aspect of leptospirosis in detail. The biology and culture characteristics of leptospires, classification, epidemiology, pathogenesis, host immune response, transmission cycle and different diagnostic methods have been explained in detail.