A serological study of leptospirosis in Chennai

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by spirochetes of the genus Leptospira. 1,2 Leptospirosis affects human beings and many other species of vertebrates, it can present in a wild spectrum of clinical manifestations in human being. 3 Many wild and domestic animals are reservoirs for leptospira organisms and they shed these organisms in their urine thereby contaminating fresh water, mud and soil. Leptospirosis has a worldwide distribution; however it is more common in tropical climates where conditions for transmission are favourable. 4 The climatic conditions in tropical and subtropical regions help provide and optimal environment to support the survivability of leptospirosis. 5 Leptospirosis is considered as the most widespread zoonosis in the world. 6 As leptospirosis have the ability to survive in the environment and infect human being and it is a potential health hazard to community. The International leptospirosis society (ILS) made an attempt to compile data on occurrence of leptospirosis in various countries 7 and the data showed that tens of thousands of severe cases occur annually worldwide. Many places in South India are known to be endemic for leptospirosis these include Chennai and Madurai in the state of Tamil nadu. As leptospirosis has the ability to survive in the environment and infect human beings leptospirosis is the potential human health hazard to community. 8 ABSTRACT