Leptospirosis is a disease caused by infection with Leptospira bacteria. These bacteria can be found worldwide in soil and water. There are many strains of ...SkiptomaincontentMembershipMembershipColumn1DirectoriesGettingInvolvedCommunitiesAdvocacyAdvocacy-Column1TakeActionTopPrioritiesEducation&CareerEducation/Career-Column1Accreditation&certificationEducationContinuingeducation(CE)LeadershipdevelopmentJobsResources&ToolsResources&ToolsColumn1Journals&researchPublicresourcesEventsFeaturedeventsCalendarofeventsFeaturedeventsNewsFeaturednewsPublicationsMediarelationsFollowusAboutAVMAInformationAVMAFamilyOrganizationContactSitesearchBreadcrumbHomeresourcesPublicresourcespetcareLeptospirosisLeptospirosisLeptospirosisisadiseasecausedbyinfectionwithLeptospirabacteria.Thesebacteriacanbefoundworldwideinsoilandwater.TherearemanystrainsofLeptospirabacteriathatcancausedisease.Leptospirosisisazoonoticdisease,whichmeansitcanbespreadfromanimalstopeople.Infectioninpeoplecancauseflu-likesymptomsandcancauseliverorkidneydisease.IntheUnitedStates,mostcasesofhumanleptospirosisresultfromrecreationalactivitiesinvolvingwater.Infectionresultingfromcontactwithaninfectedpetismuchlesscommon,butitispossible.Leptospirosisismorecommoninareaswithwarmclimatesandhighannualrainfallbutitcanoccuranywhere.RiskfactorsforleptospirosisDogsaremostcommonlyaffected.Leptospirosisincatsisrareandappearstobemildalthoughverylittleisknownaboutthediseaseinthisspecies.CommonriskfactorsforleptospirosisindogsresidingintheUnitedStatesincludeexposuretoordrinkingfromrivers,lakesorstreams;roamingonruralproperties(becauseofexposuretopotentiallyinfectedwildlife,farmanimals,orwatersources);exposuretowildanimalorfarmanimalspecies,evenifinthebackyard;andcontactwithrodentsorotherdogs.Dogscanbecomeinfectedanddevelopleptospirosisiftheirmucousmembranes(orskinwithanywound,suchasacutorscrape)comeintocontactwithinfectedurine,urine-contaminatedsoil,water,foodorbedding;throughabitefromaninfectedanimal;byeatinginfectedtissuesorcarcasse