Madison Area Lyme Support Group

People in New York City are reportedly getting sick with a disease called leptospirosis that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says “affects humans and animals.”An illness stemming from bacteria of the genus Leptospira, leptospirosis reportedly spreads through exposure to rat urine, rats being a prolific problem throughout the filthy Big Apple.Symptoms of leptospirosis are wide ranging, often being mistaken for other diseases. Such symptoms include everything from kidney damage and meningitis (inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord) to liver failure, respiratory disease and even sudden death.

Chief Nerd, citing an article from the Epoch Times, tweeted that the news about all these increasing leptospirosis cases in New York City comes exactly one year after Mayor Eric Adams appointed Kathleen Corradi as the city’s first-ever citywide director of rodent mitigation.  (See link for article)

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**Comment**

Leptospira is a genus of spirochaete bacteria with 64 recognized species and is thought to be the most widespread zoonosis in the world that occurs mostly in temperate regions. Similarly to Lyme disease, also a spirochaete bacteria, it is under-reported.  Synonyms for Lepto include Weil’s disease, Weil-Vasiliev disease, Swineherd’s disease, rice-field fever, waterborne fever, nanukayami fever, cane-cutter fever, swamp fever, mud fever, Fort Bragg fever, Stuttgart disease, Mgunda fever, and Canicola fever.

Rodents are the most important reservoirs for maintaining transmission, but are asymptomatic carriers that shed the organism in their urine which can survive for days to months.  It infects both wild and domestic mammals and can either present asymptomatically or via clinical infection.

Humans are accidental hosts, becoming infected through cuts or abraded skin, mucus membranes or conjunctivae after coming in contact with contaminated soil or water.  It has also occurred via animal bites.

Human-to-human transmission is very rare but has been documented through sexual intercourse and breastfeeding.

Large outbreaks involving thousands of people have occurred after flooding – particularly in areas with poor sanitation.  Outbreaks have also occurred at athletic events where swimming was in fresh water.

For more:  https://www.uptodate.com/contents/leptospirosis-epidemiology-microbiology-clinical-manifestations-and-diagnosis

A reliable distinguishing feature is conjunctival suffusion (redness of the conjunctiva).

Please note the transmission via urine, mucus membranes, animal bites, sex and breast feeding because experts have said the exact same thing about Lyme disease.

Go here to learn about the 45 lab acquired infections with Lyme before 1975 which resulted in two deaths.  Infected guinea pig blood survived outside the host for 28-35 days at room temperature and it survives for short periods in URINE.  Source

SOURCES/SPECIMENS:  Clinical specimens – blood, cerebrospinal fluid, urine, skin scrapings, retinal and synovial specimens; naturally or experimentally infected mammals, their ectoparasites and their infected tissues

Yet the band plays on and the ‘powers that be’ insist you can only become infected by a black-legged tick bite.

Right.