Not Indexed In part 1, the bacteria that causes the disease in dogs in cats will be discussed, including routes of transmission from one animal species to another and transmission to humans. In part 2, clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment in animals will be discussed. Leptospirosis is a disease caused by a related group of spiral-shaped bacteria. Cases of the disease seem to be more common in the fall and early winter in many locations in the United States. Currently veterinarians believe they are seeing a large number of cases on Long Island, New York.
Leptospirosis is a disease that occurs worldwide.
Infections in animals of the maintenance host species often cause either mild disease or do not cause disease signs at all because the bacteria and animal have become adapted to living together over many generations. All these serovars of Leptospira make understanding the disease leptospirosis and how it is spread very complicated. Below are some examples of serovars, the maintenance hosts, and their canine and feline incidental hosts. When the incidental hosts become infected, serious disease may result. Therefore, a vaccine was developed against these 2 serovars and the number of cases in dogs declined.