Leptospirosis

General description of the disease

It is an acute infection caused by pathogenic bacteria. leptospira… They are cold-resistant and hardy even when frozen. However, bacteria are very sensitive to high temperatures, sunlight, acids and chlorine compounds.^[3]

This disease is common throughout the planet, except for the Arctic. But most often leptospirosis occurs in tropical countries. In our country, the infection occurs in all regions, while there is a persistent trend towards an increase in the incidence.

The variety of clinical manifestations of leptospirosis complicates the timely diagnosis of the disease, which leads to late hospitalization and often deaths.

Causes of leptospirosis

The path of transmission of the disease is exclusively contact. At the same time, an infected person does not pose a danger and is not a source of infection, since it does not emit leptospira into the atmosphere.

Leptospira is spread by animals: cattle, pigs, hedgehogs, dogs, mice, water rats and others. Animals, in turn, become infected through food and water. The infection presented is often of a professional nature. Representatives of the following professions are most susceptible to leptospirosis:

1. 1 cattlemen;
2. 2 slaughterhouse workers;
3. 3 milkmaids;
4. 4 veterinarians;
5. 5 shepherds;
6. 6 plumbers;
7. 7 miners.

The disease is seasonal and peaks in August.

The gateway for infection is the skin. At the slightest damage to the skin, a tiny leptospira can penetrate there. Infection can also enter the body through mucous membranes upon contact with water contaminated with animal secretions. Leptospira enter the bloodstream and quickly spread throughout the body, then multiply in organs and tissues.

There are such mechanisms of infection with leptospirosis:

• aspirating – in the process of making hay and agricultural crops. products;
• alimentary – when drinking contaminated water and food;
• contact – when bitten by infected animals and while swimming in water bodies.

Symptoms of leptospirosis

Infection is usually asymptomatic. The incubation period is 7-10 days on average. The disease begins in an acute form. The patient is worried about fever, severe thirst, headache, the temperature rises to 40 degrees, the sclera become inflamed, but without signs of conjunctivitis.

The characteristic symptoms of leptospirosis include pain in the thigh and calf muscles, as well as pain in the lumbar region, in the same places the skin also hurts. Sometimes the pain can be so severe that the patient can hardly move.

The high temperature can last up to 10 days. With a severe course of the disease, yellowness of the skin and rashes on the trunk and limbs may develop. The appearance of a herpetic rash on the lips and wings of the nose, an increase in lymph nodes is possible. Cardiovascular disorders are manifested in the form of bradycardia and hypotension.

On the 4-6th day after infection, the patient has an increase in the liver and spleen, palpation of the liver causes painful sensations. Potential hemorrhages in the sclera of the eyes are possible. With leptospirosis, general manifestations of intoxication are clearly expressed, such as: weakness, rapid fatigue, lethargy, rapid breathing.

Complications of leptospirosis

Leptospirosis is dangerous for its complications. Untimely or incorrect therapy can lead to serious and sometimes irreversible consequences:

1. 1 kidneys may be affected, up to the development of acute renal failure, which can be fatal;
2. 2 in case of damage to the nervous system, polyneuritis, encephalitis or meningitis may develop, up to cerebral edema;
3. 3 heart damage can lead to leptospirotic myocarditis;
4. 4 this infection disrupts blood clotting, therefore, hemorrhages in the sclera of the eye and in the adrenal glands are possible;
5. 5 with damage to the upper respiratory tract, pneumonia develops;
6. 6 children may develop Kawasaki syndrome, which includes the manifestation of symptoms such as redness and swelling of the soles and palms, myocarditis, dropsy of the gallbladder;
7. 7 with eye damage, iritis often develops – inflammation of the iris of the eye, uveitis, iridocyclitis;
8. 8 possibly the development of liver failure as a hepatic coma.

Prevention of leptospirosis

The best preventive measures aimed at preventing leptospirosis are considered to be the vaccination of domestic animals and people whose professions are associated with working with agricultural animals. animals. It also follows:

• do not swim in bodies of stagnant water;
• when working in the garden and garden, gloves and rubber boots should be worn;
• boil milk before drinking;
• isolate sick animals, and wear protective clothing while caring for them;
• do not forget about veterinary supervision;
• protect food from rodents;
• thermally process products of animal origin;
• refuse to use water from open reservoirs;
• control small rodents in homes, grocery stores and warehouses;
• carry out sanitary and educational work.

Treatment of leptospirosis in official medicine

Self-medication for leptospirosis is unacceptable. The earlier the patient seeks a doctor, the more effective the therapy will be, the best treatment success can be achieved in the first 4 days after infection. After the diagnosis is established, hospitalization in the infectious diseases department is mandatory.

At the very beginning, the patient is recommended antibiotics, which are combined with corticosteroids, and vitamin therapy is also necessary. In addition, the introduction of antileptospiral immunoglobulin is mandatory, and the donor immunoglobulin is more effective than the horse one.

In severe forms of the disease with complications, pathogenetic treatment is indicated, enterosorbents are widely used.

After recovery, the patient who has recovered for 6 months is under the supervision of an infectious disease specialist, nephrologist, neuropathologist and ophthalmologist. Once a month, control tests of urine and blood are made and, if residual effects are detected, appropriate therapy is prescribed.

Attention!

The administration is not responsible for any attempt to use the information provided, and does not guarantee that it will not harm you personally. The materials cannot be used to prescribe treatment and make a diagnosis. Always consult your specialist doctor!