Loading...
Extensive flooding in Louisiana in 2016 was followed by two reported cases of confirmed leptospirosis in patients exposed to floodwaters, an increase over baseline reporting of three cases in the previous 28 years. Recent reports show a very high prevalence of infection with Leptospira species in Louisiana wildlife including feral swine and deer.
Leptospirosis, a bacterial infection, causes self-limited fever, nausea, chills, or headache sometimes accompanied by calf or back pain and nonpurulent conjunctivitis. In 10% of patients, disease progresses to jaundice, renal failure, aseptic meningitis, cardiac arrhythmia, pulmonary hemorrhage, and gastrointestinal symptoms, which may lead to death in 5% to 15% of cases. A syndromic detection syste…