Human Leptospirosis from Immunized Dogs

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Abstract
Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae was isolated from the urine of a critically ill patient from suburban St. Louis. Additional cases among close contacts of the patient and the animal source of the infection were sought. Four additional human infections with L. icterohaemorrhagiae were discovered. Four healthy immunized dogs that were pets of the infected patients and that had access to land on which rats had been seen were shown to be infected with the same organism. Two of these animals were leptospiruric when they were sampled. Nine rats were trapped in the sewers on the street where the human and canine cases were discovered. All nine rats were infected with L. icterohaemorrhagiae. When infection of rats with L. icterohaemorrhagiae is prevalent, canine infection and leptospiruria may occur even in healthy immunized animals, with subsequent development of the disease in humans.

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