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Description
Leptospirosis can be caused by infection with a number of different serovars of the bacteria Leptospira interrogans. In general infection with a host adapted strain results in subclinical infection, intermittent shedding of the organism and the animal acts as a reservoir for infection. Infection with non host adapted strains results in clinical disease.
- Serovars canicola and icterohaemorrhagica cause leptospirosis in dogs, but are vaccinated against
- Serovars pomona and grippotyphosa are becoming important
- The host-adapted serovar canicolar causes acute renal failure in puppies; a chronic uraemic syndrome may follow
- Incidental infections with serovar icterohaemorrhagica or copenhagenii cause renal failure
- L. icterohaemorrhagiae may cause hepatic jaundice
- Serovar bratislava causes abortion and infertility in dogs, which may be the maintenance host
- Infections uncommon in cats
- Leptospirosis icterohaemorrhagica - a septicaemic disease which affects the liver
- puppies
- Leptospirosis is an important spirochaetal group of diseases causing disease in animals and humans (zoonotic)
- Transmission
- via urine of affected animals
- organisms can remain viable for weeks in damp conditions
- method of action
- cause anaemia via intravascular haemolysis
Signalment
Diagnosis
Clinical Signs
- fever
- dehydration
- haemorrhaging from the mucous membranes of the body
Laboratory Tests
- dark field microscopy on fresh urine is best
Pathology
Grossly-
- widespread hameorrhages
- icterus
- pale foci in the liver (not always a constant finding)
- subcapsular and cortical renal haemorrhages
Microscopically-
- foci of necrosis
- dissociation of hepatocytes form each other (similar to post mortem change)
- substantial haemosiderin in the Kuppfer cells (from the haemolysis)
- need to use a silver stain or immunofluorescence to demonstrate the organisms in tissues
Treatment
Prognosis
References
- Merck & Co (2008) The Merck Veterinary Manual (Eighth Edition) Merial
- Nelson, R.W. and Couto, C.G. (2009) Small Animal Internal Medicine (Fourth Edition) Mosby Elsevier