Both patients were treated with antibiotics and made a full recovery. In rare cases with leptospirosis, liver failure and death can occur. This is why it's important to get medical attention immediately if you suspect that you have it. The infection must be treated with specific antibiotics right away, even before lab results confirm the diagnosis. The infectious disease is caused by a spirochete that infects 160 mammals worldwide.
Rats are most common, but dogs, fish and birds can be infected.
The leptospirosis in their urine contaminates mud, rivers and ponds, and can enter humans through the mucous membranes of the mouth and eyes, and through cuts and abrasions. Actually, most people who swim don't contract leptospirosis. But to reduce the chance of contracting it, do not swim in rivers and ponds if you have open cuts or abrasions, and avoid swimming underwater. Dr. David Sasaki, a leptospirosis expert at the state Department of Health, tells me that leptospirosis is 100 to 200 times more common in Hawai ' i than on the Mainland. Our state accounts for two-thirds of all cases in the United States.