[Leptospirosis and pregnancy. Eleven cases in French Guyana]

The incidence of leptospirosis, a widespread antropozoonosis, is underestimated due to variable clinical presentations. The abortive effect of this disease, well known in animals, is only reported rarely in humans although transplacental transmission has been demonstrated. We report 11 cases of leptospirosis in pregnant women in French Guiana. The diagnosis was made on identification of the germ in maternal urine samples and/or on specific serology tests. Fetal death occurred in more than 50% of the cases due to premature abortion or in utero death. The rate of maternal-fetal transmissions is not known, but leptospirosis could be a not uncommon cause of perinatal deaths in endemic zones.