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LEPTOSPIRA
Prof. Khalifa Sifaw Ghenghesh
Actively motile spiral bacteria, appear straight
and rigid with one or both ends hooked
Obligate aerobes, Optimum temp. > 28-32oC
Many types are harmless, others cause
disease in warm-blooded animals (including
domestic) and man (leptospirosis)
Pathogenic leptospires found in kidneys of
rodents and other small mammals
– Excreted in their urine
2 species
– L. interrogans >> Parasitic strains
– L. biflexa >> Free-saprophytic strains
Leptospira species
Leptospira species
Leptospira interrogans
Require addition of serum for growth
Slow growth requires 2-3 weeks
incubation in liquid media
Can cause
– Benign leptospirosis with mild influenza-like
illness (Canicola fever)
– Severe form of illness characterized by
jaundice and haemorrhages in the eyes, skin
and mucous membranes (Weil’s disease)
Sometimes fatal
Usually due to serovar icterohaemorrhagiae
LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS
Specimen
– Blood > after 5-12 days incubation >
leptospiraemia for 7 days
– Urine deposit > leptospires after 2nd week of
illness for 4-6 weeks (intermittently)
Microscopy
– Dark-ground microscopy
Culture:
– Blood > Liquid medium
– Urine sediment > Semisolid medium
Serological Examination
– Specific Abs in patients serum > end of 1st
week
– Continue to rise for several weeks and then
decline
– Serum examined early day of illness and at
intervals of 4-5 days thereafter
– Rise in Ab titre is indication of current
infection
– Tests used
Complement fixation and Haemagglutination
tests, ELISA and Microscopic agglutination test
Leptospira bacteria in liver impression
smear (FA stain) of a Patient died of
leptospirosis.
Histopathology of leptospirosis, kidney
(Dieterle silver stain)
Photomicrograph of leptospiral microscopic
agglutination test with live antigen using
darkfield microscopy technique.
TREATMENT AND CONTROL
Benzylpenicillin (IV) in large
doses (3.6-4.8g) > daily for 7 days
Alternatives:
– Erythromycin, Streptomycin
Control: