CLINICAL MANIFESTATION AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PECULIARITIES OF LEPTOSPIROSIS AT THE MODERN STAGE IN GEORGIA

Area of Science:

• Medical Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Leptospirosis is a prevalent zoonotic infection globally, particularly in subtropical and tropical regions.
• Georgia has observed a significant rise in leptospirosis cases since 2011, with a notable shift in dominant serovars, L. pomona being the most frequent (45%).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the contemporary clinical and epidemiological characteristics of leptospirosis, especially in the post-COVID-19 era.
• To compare current findings with previous data from 2013-2014 to identify changes in disease patterns.

Main Methods:

• A cohort study involving 62 individuals with prolonged fever (over 5 days) hospitalized between January and June 2023.
• Leptospirosis diagnosis confirmed via ELISA for IgM titers at the Lugar Research Center.
• Comparative analysis with a prior study conducted in 2013-2014.

Main Results:

• Leptospirosis was confirmed in 40 cases (64.5%) in the 2023 cohort, with an age range of 17-80 years (71% male, 29% female).
• Urban areas showed a slight predominance (54.8%) compared to rural (45.2%).
• Anicteric forms (87.1%) were more common than icteric forms (12.9%). Pneumonia (35.5%) and neurological symptoms (12.9%) were frequent. Weil's disease occurred in 23.6% of cases.

Conclusions:

• Leptospirosis incidence has increased, with a notable expansion into urban settings.
• A shift towards anicteric presentations and changing epidemiological features necessitates ongoing surveillance for prolonged fevers.
• Prompt diagnosis and differential consideration are crucial due to leptospirosis's dynamic clinical spectrum, particularly in the post-COVID-19 context.