Resumo / Abstract

Leptospirosis, Adolf Weil's disease or, in its most serious form, Weil's syndrome, is a bacterial disease caused by Leptospira that affects humans and other animals, often transmitted by water or urine-infected food from animals, especially rats. Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonotic infection with a much greater incidence in tropical regions and has now been identified as one of the emerging infectious diseases. The epidemiology of leptospirosis has been modified by changes in animal husbandry, climate, and human behavior. Resurgent interest in leptospirosis has resulted from large outbreaks that have received significant publicity. The development of simpler, rapid assays for diagnosis has been based largely on the recognition that early initiation of antibiotic therapy is important in acute disease but also on the need for assays which can be used more widely.