Leptospirosis

At a glance

No vaccine available – read more about prevention
Nationally notifiable disease

About leptospirosis

Leptospirosis is a disease caused by Leptospira bacteria.

Leptospirosis usually spreads to people through contact with freshwater or soil contaminated with urine from infected animals.

Why it matters to public health

About 100 to 200 people are usually diagnosed with leptospirosis in Australia every year.

Most infections are mild, but it can be serious, especially for certain groups.

Leptospirosis can occur across Australia but is more common in humid or tropical areas.

Outbreaks can also occur, especially after floods and cyclones.

Because of these impacts, we:

work with colleagues in the animal and environmental sectors to ensure a One Health coordinated approach to monitoring and reporting of leptospirosis
plan for how to manage outbreaks.

Symptoms

If you’re looking for advice about your own health or treatment options, see healthdirect or speak with a qualified healthcare professional. Our role is to provide public health advice – information and guidance that helps prevent disease, protect communities and improve wellbeing at a population level.

Some people do not develop any symptoms or get only mild symptoms.

Common early symptoms often start suddenly and can include:

fever and chills
headache
sore muscles (particularly of the calves, thighs and lower back)
red eyes.

Some people progress to more serious disease after about 7 days which can result in inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) and its lining (meningitis).

About 1 in 10 people, may develop Weil’s syndrome, a serious illness that can include:

jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
kidney failure
bleeding
inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis)
inflammation lining of the brain (meningitis)
bleeding in the lungs and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

The illness can last a few days to a month. Without treatment, recovery can take longer.

healthdirect’s symptom checker can help you decide whether to see a health professional.

Check your symptoms

Onset of symptoms

Symptoms usually start between 5 and 14 days after getting infected. But this can range from 2 to 30 days.

How it spreads

The bacteria that cause leptospirosis are found in many animals, including:

rodents (rats and mice)
livestock (cattle and pigs)
horses
dogs.

It can spread to people from infected animals through:

direct contact with urine
contact with soil or water that contains urine – such as floodwater, ponds, rivers or containers of water
drinking water or eating food that has been contaminated with animal urine.

The bacteria can enter a person’s body:

through an open wound, including cuts and abrasions
through the eyes, nose or mouth
by inhaling contaminated dust or aerosolised urine or water.

People can get leptospirosis more than once.

Infectious period

Leptospirosis does not usually spread between people.

Prevention

There is no human vaccine for leptospirosis.

The best ways to protect against leptospirosis are to:

avoid contact with floodwater
cover any open wounds or abrasions with a waterproof dressing
wash hands often, especially when around animals or outdoors
not drink untreated water from lakes, rivers or ponds
control rodent populations around homes and workplaces
wear enclosed shoes and gloves while gardening or working outside
vaccinate dogs and cattle against leptospirosis.

People who might be at greater risk of exposure through their jobs should follow their workplace’s occupational health and safety advice. This might include extra prevention steps, such as:

wearing appropriate personal protective equipment
showering after work.

Read more ways to prevent leptospirosis.

Priority groups and settings

Some people are at greater risk of getting leptospirosis or getting very sick from it.

The bacteria are found throughout Australia, but are much more common in warm, humid regions. People in these areas might be more at risk.

In warm areas, Leptospira can survive in freshwater and wet soil for months. Heavy rainfall and flooding can increase the risk to people, because animal urine can contaminate floodwaters.

People at greater risk of severe disease

Leptospirosis might pose a greater risk of severe illness for:

pregnant people
people with some chronic conditions
older people.

People at greater risk of exposure

People might at greater risk of exposure to the bacteria if:

their job involves animals, soil or water, such as:
- farmers
- abattoir workers
- fish workers
- veterinarians and vet nurses
- laboratory professionals handling clinical specimens
- sewerage workers
- miners
- military personnel
they participate in outdoor activities, such as
- swimming
- other freshwater sports, such as kayaking and whitewater rafting
- camping
- hiking
- fishing
- gardening
they travel to places where leptospirosis is more common, especially after heavy rainfall or flooding
they have an open wound, such as a cut or abrasion that is exposed to animals, soil or water.

Diagnosis and treatment

Leptospirosis is usually diagnosed through laboratory testing of:

blood
cerebrospinal fluid (fluid from around the spinal cord)
urine.

You can use healthdirect’s directory to find a health service near you.

Find a health service

Leptospirosis can be treated with antibiotics. People who develop serious symptoms or complications might need hospital care.

Read more about how to manage or treat leptospirosis.

Surveillance and reporting

Leptospirosis is a nationally notifiable disease – these are diseases that present a risk to public health.

Health authorities in each state and territory report new laboratory confirmed and probable cases to us daily through the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System.

We take a One Health approach to the surveillance and monitoring of leptospirosis. As well as human disease surveillance, we work with government agencies for agriculture and the environment, to understand and address the impacts of leptospirosis in animals.

This is part of our surveillance activities, which help us monitor case numbers around the country and understand disease patterns.

We analyse the data and report on case numbers and other data through our data visualisation tool, where you can filter and search the latest information.

Outbreaks

Outbreaks usually occur after heavy rain or flooding in places where leptospirosis is common. Outbreaks might be more likely in communities with poor housing and sanitation.

States and territories have different definitions of outbreaks and different public health responses.

Outbreak response measures might include:

identifying the source of infection
educating people about leptospirosis and how to prevent it
draining, cleaning up or restricting access to contaminated water bodies
raising awareness for health professionals, especially after cyclones or floods
other measures to reduce the risk, such as rodent control.

Read more about how the Australian Government defines and plans for outbreaks.

Support

For information about leptospirosis in your state or territory, see:

If you need mental health support, see a list of organisations, websites and services that offer support, counselling and information.