Fact Sheet: Leptospirosis

Both the medical community and the general public need to be informed of the risk of the disease, especially after a hurricane or flood since leptospirosis outbreaks are very common. For this reason there are risk communication guidelines.

Physicians and health care providers should be informed about the symptoms of leptospirosis, risk factors, diagnostic testing and therapeutic strategies.

Widespread community education can greatly assist in the identification of risk factors, prevention of illness, and reduction of the duration of the disease and its severity through early recognition of suspicious symptoms.