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Leptospirosis: When the Water Bites Back

Is it just a severe flu, or something lurking in the mud? In this episode, we wade into the science of Leptospirosis, a bacterial infection transmitted through water and soil contaminated by the urine of infected animals like rats, cattle, and pigs.

Join us as we analyze why this emerging zoonosis is on the rise due to climate change and flooding, and uncover:

• The Risk Factors: Why sugar cane farmers, abattoir workers, and whitewater rafters are in the danger zone.

• The Biphasic Illness: How to distinguish the acute phase from the dangerous immune phase, including the life-threatening triad of Weil’s disease (jaundice, renal failure, and hemorrhage).

• The Clinical Management: Key study notes on diagnostic delays, the Jarisch–Herxheimer reaction, and treatment with doxycycline or penicillin.

Tune in to learn how to spot, treat, and prevent this environmental threat!

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References

• Article 1: NSW Health. (2021). Leptospirosis fact sheet. New South Wales Government.

• Article 2: Lau, C. L., Townell, N., Stephenson, E., van den Berg, D., & Craig, S. B. (2018). Leptospirosis: An important zoonosis acquired through work, play and travel. Australian Journal of General Practice, 47(3), 105-110. (Source text from The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners website).

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