Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease associated with wild and domestic animals.
It causes severe systemic symptoms including jaundice. Only a few cases are reported each year in New York State. Leptospirosis is primarily an occupational disease that affects farmers, sewer workers or others whose occupation involves contact with animals, especially rats. Leptospirosis is spread mainly by the urine of infected animals and is generally not transmitted from person to person. The symptoms of leptospirosis are fever, headache, chills, vomiting, jaundice, anemia and sometimes rash.