A pregnant woman who becomes infected with leptospirosis may miscarry. Weil's syndrome is a severe form of leptospirosis that causes a continuous fever, stupor, and a reduced ability of the blood to clot, which leads to bleeding within tissues. This syndrome begins as the less severe forms of leptospirosis do. Blood tests reveal anemia, and by the third to sixth day, signs of kidney damage and liver injury appear. Kidney abnormalities may cause painful urination or blood in the urine.
Liver injury tends to be mild and usually heals completely.
A doctor can confirm the diagnosis of leptospirosis by identifying the bacteria in cultures of blood, urine, or cerebrospinal fluid samples or, more commonly, by detecting antibodies against the bacteria in the blood. Prognosis and Treatment Infected people who don't develop jaundice usually recover. Jaundice indicates liver damage and increases the death rate to 10 percent or higher in people over age 60. The antibiotic doxycycline can prevent the disease during an outbreak. Penicillin, ampicillin, or similar antibiotics are given to treat the disease.