Virus leptospirosis

Leptospirosis Minus Related Pages. Outdoor Activity Heading Outdoors? Help Avoid Infection. Signs and Symptoms. Risk of Exposure. Prevention in Pets. Healthcare Workers. People and pets can be infected and not yet show symptoms.

Your veterinarian will be especially cautious when handling your pet and will strongly advise you to do the same.

Protective latex gloves must be worn at all times, and all body fluids will be treated as a biologically hazardous material. Increased thirst and urination—may be indicative of chronic renal kidney failure, progressing to an inability to urinate. Soon after initial infection, your dog will develop a fever and a bacterial infection of the blood, but these symptoms soon resolve as antibodies are produced.

Even then, Leptospira spirochetes can remain in the kidneys, reproducing there and infecting the urine. Infection of the liver or kidneys can be fatal for animals if the infection progresses, causing severe damage to these organs. Younger animals with less developed immune systems are at the highest risk for severe complications. Give your vet a thorough history of your dog's health, including a background history of symptoms, recent activities, and possible incidents that might have precipitated this condition.

The history you provide may give your veterinarian clues as to what stage of infection your dog is experiencing, and which organs are most affected. Urine and blood cultures will also be ordered for examining the prevalence of the bacteria.

A titer test will also be performed to measure the body's immune response to the infection by measuring the presence of antibodies in the bloodstream. This will help to definitively identify Leptospira spirochetes and the level of systemic infection. Fluid therapy will be the primary treatment for leptospirosis in dogs to reverse any effects of dehydration.

If your dog has been vomiting, an anti-vomiting drug, called an antiemetic , may be administered, and a gastric tube can be used to nourish your dog if the inability to eat or keep food down continues. Antibiotics will be prescribed by your veterinarian, with the type of antibiotic dependent on the stage of infection.

Penicillins can be used for initial infections, but they are not effective for eliminating the bacteria once it has reached the carrier stage. Tetracyclines , fluoroquinolones, or similar antibiotics will be prescribed for this stage, since they are better distributed into the bone tissue. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Minus Related Pages. How do people get leptospirosis? There are two common ways to develop leptospirosis: Drinking or contact with water such as by swimming, rafting or kayaking or soil that has been contaminated by urine or body fluids of infected animals Exposure to the urine or body fluids of infected animals What are the symptoms of leptospirosis?

Print: Leptospirosis Fact Sheet. Cdc-pdf [PDF - 1 page]. Which animals can spread leptospirosis to people? Many animals can spread leptospirosis, including pets such as dogs , farm animals, or wildlife. Am I at risk?