Leptospirosis IgM antibodies Weil's disease

Leptospirosis (Weil's disease, Mud fever, Dairy fever) is a bacterial infectious disease found worldwide. Blood test Leptospira IgM (serum).

This test measures antibodies IgM. Other tests such as PCR and IgG are also available.

For those infectious diseases that are subject to mandatory reporting, we are obliged to report a positive result to your local GGD (more information).

The transmission takes place through the urine of the host, usually mice, rats and cattle.
In humans the disease is characterized by fever, muscle and joint pains, light-headedness. Jaundice, liver and kidney dysfunction and meningitis also occur. A significant proportion of infections in the Netherlands were contracted abroad and associated with contact with open water.

If the duration of the disease is 10 days or less, a PCR from EDTA blood is preferred.
In addition, the presence of IgM antibodies against Leptospira spp. can be tested. In case of negative results and continued suspicion of a recent infection, repeating the test after approximately 2 weeks should be considered.

The sensitivity of serology on serum collected from 11 days after the onset of symptoms is high as is the negative predictive value.

There are no clear data on protective immunity after natural infection.

Infectious period

The patient is infectious as long as leptospires are excreted in the urine.
Excretion can last from weeks to months, depending on the individual. There are no data on infectivity during the incubation period or in asymptomatic infection but this is not excluded.

Antibiotic treatment may shorten the duration of excretion and reduce the amount of leptospires excreted. Reliable quantitative data are lacking and probably depend on the individual.

Notifiable

Leptospirosis is a Group C notifiable infectious disease. Should you be infected we are not allowed to keep it anonymous (more information)








.