A27.0: Leptospirosis icterohaemorrhagica

You have leptospirosis. The disease is transmitted by particular bacteria.

The bacteria can occur in the urine of various animals, such as dogs, pigs, horses or mice. The bacteria can get into bodies of water or the soil through the urine. If you come into contact with the bacteria, they can for instance penetrate the body via small skin lesions.

If the bacteria spread in the body, you may have various symptoms. You can get a high fever, headaches or abdominal pain. The muscles and joints may also ache. You may furthermore get many little red spots on your skin. It is sometimes possible to get symptoms again after several days. For example, you may have another fever or feel weak. Inflammation of various organs such as the kidneys or heart can also occur.

Specific organs of yours are affected by the disease. If the liver is affected by the disease, bile fluid can accumulate in the liver. Among other things, bile fluid helps with the digestion of fats in food. Furthermore, certain waste materials can be eliminated via the bile fluid. Bile fluid is produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. When the bile fluid is needed for digestion, it is guided from the gallbladder into the intestines via a duct. When bile fluid accumulates in the liver, the skin and eyes can take on a yellow color.

When the kidneys are affected by the disease, they often stop working properly. There are normally 2 kidneys in the body. They filter blood and create urine. They thus help to detoxify the body. Furthermore, the kidneys regulate the blood pressure and salt content in the blood, among other things. When the kidneys no longer work properly, you can have problems with urination. In that case, water will sometimes accumulate at certain sites in the body and the legs may swell up.

Sometimes the spleen is also enlarged by the disease. The spleen is on the top left side of the abdomen. Old blood cells are broken down in the spleen. Furthermore, defense cells are stored. If the defense cells are needed, they are then released from the spleen into the blood.