Leptospirosis in Coastal South India: A Facility Based Study

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Leptospirosis is a neglected zoonotic disease with a wide range of clinical manifestations, posing a significant public health challenge, particularly in developing nations.
• The disease is frequently underreported, leading to an underestimation of its true burden and impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the sociodemographic characteristics of leptospirosis patients.
• To analyze the clinical features and outcomes associated with leptospirosis in a specific study population.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study analyzing patient registries from January 2011 to December 2014.
• Data collection focused on demographic and clinical profiles of 202 confirmed leptospirosis cases.
• Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 11.5.

Main Results:

• The study included 202 patients with a mean age of 40.48 years.
• Fever was the predominant symptom at admission (92.1%).
• Acute renal failure was a common complication (79.2%), and the case fatality rate was 3.5%.

Conclusions:

• The high number of cases suggests leptospirosis is endemic in the study region.
• Leptospirosis presents with diverse clinical features, ranging from mild illness to severe, life-threatening complications.