Leptospirosis

An anthropozoonosis, rare in Europe, clinically characterized by an initial presentation of flu-like symptoms rapidly progressing into life-threatening multisystem failure (notably hepatonephritis) caused by spiral-shaped bacteria belonging to the genus Leptospira. Leptospirosis is a widespread zoonosis with a worldwide distribution and has emerged as a major public health problem in developing countries in South-East Asia and South America.