Leptospirosis Symptoms and Treatment
If you’ve been infected with the bacteria that cause leptospirosis, you’ll probably start to show symptoms at around 10 days after your exposure. However, symptoms can appear between 2 to 29 days after infection.
Someone infected with leptospirosis can exhibit the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Chills
- Headache
- Muscle pains, specifically in the legs
- Eye redness
- Vomiting
- Pain in the abdomen
- Cough
- Sore throat
Untreated cases of leptospirosis can have serious consequences on a person’s health.
Leptospirosis Phases
First Phase
During the first phase, the usual symptoms occur. However, the person recovers but then gets ill again. This is also called the acute or febrile phase when the bacteria circulates in the blood causing the classic symptoms. This phase lasts for 2-9 days and may be followed by a period of apparent improvement.
Second Phase
The second phase of leptospirosis cases usually involves more severe symptoms. In this phase, leptospirosis can cause kidney or liver failure, or meningitis. Characterized by the recurrence of fever and development of complications and severe symptoms.
Severe symptoms of leptospirosis include:
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)
- Kidney failure
- Liver failure
- Breathing problems characterized by recurrence of fever and development of complications and severe symptoms
- Meningitis (swelling of membranes around the brain and spinal cord)
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