Group 5 BSN1-F

CERVERA, Maan Joy

SUGUITAN, Johnna Arabella
TACAY, Joyda
TAGUIBOS, Ashlee

LEPTOSPIRA INTERROGANS

1. General Description:
○ obligate aerobic, gram-negative spirochete bacteria with internal flagella
○ spirochete bacterium Leptospira
○ Mostly found in warmer tropical regions
○ Flexible and has many serovars based on cell surface antigens.

2. Disease it cause:
○ Leptospirosis - a zoonotic disease, which means that it can be transmitted between animals and
humans.
■ An infectious disorder which affects both humans and animals.
■ Leptospira interrogans is the bacteria responsible for this illness.

3. Mode of Transmission:
○ You can be infected of leptospirosis through:
■ Direct contact
➢ urine or reproductive fluids from infected animals.
■ Exposure
➢ contaminated water or soil.
■ Consuming
➢ contaminated food or water.

4. Incubation Period:
○ Symptoms typically appear seven days to twelve days after exposure.

5. Source of Infection:
○ Infected animals serve as the primary reservoir, most especially rodents.
○ Humans become infected by interacting with contaminated environments.
6. Period of Communicability:
○ Leptospirosis is not directly contagious from person to person.
○ The risk lies in exposure to the same contaminated environment.
○ May be excreted in the urine.

7. Clinical Symptoms:
○ Initial symptoms resemble flu-like illness:
■ Fever, headache, muscle pain, and chills.
○ As the disease progresses, more severe symptoms may occur:
■ Weil’s syndrome, characterized by jaundice, kidney failure, and bleeding.
■ Outstanding Symptoms: Severe headache, vomiting, and abdominal pain.

8. Common Complications:
○ Kidney damage, meningitis (inflammation of the membrane around both brain and spinal cord),
and liver failure.
○ Respiratory distress and even death in severe cases.

9. Standard Gold Test:

○ The microscopic agglutination test (MAT) is commonly used for diagnosis in which it detects
antibodies that are against specific serovars.

10. Treatment Modalities:

○ Doxycycline and penicillin are often used as drug choices.
○ Intravenous antibiotics may also be given to patients with severe symptoms.

11. Nursing Management:

○ Monitor vital signs, hydration, and renal function.
○ Educate patients on proper hand hygiene and avoiding contaminated water.

12. Preventive Measures and Health Education:

○ Avoid exposure to contaminated water and soil.
○ Wear protective clothing when handling animals or working in high-risk environments.
 ○ Consider vaccination for high-risk individuals.
○ Join and support public health campaigns to raise awareness.

References:
Cleveland Clinic WebMD

CDC
https://www.cdc.gov/leptospirosis/index.html#:~:text=Without%20treatment%2C%20Leptospirosis%20can%20lead,respiratory%20distress%2C%20and%20even%20death.

&text=Learn%20more%20about%20Special%20Bacteriology,Zoonoses%20and%20Select%20Agent%20Laboratory.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK8451/