Session:

Emerging Infectious Diseases

Abstract No.:

46.031

Title:

Clinical syndromes features of Weil's diseases among Albanian adults' patients

Author(s):

A. Pilaca¹, E. Puca¹, A. Harxhi¹, T. Kalo¹, S. Kurti¹, A. Beqiri²; ¹University Hospital Center "Mother Teresa", Department of Infection Diseases, Tirana/AL, ²U.H.C "Mother Teresa", General Surgery Department, Tirana, ALBANIA/AL

Abstract:

Background: Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by organisms of the genus Leptospira. It has a wide clinical spectrum ranging from asymptomatic cases to severe disease. Severe forms of leptospirosis are characterized by severe hepatorenal dysfunction, mental status changes and hemorrhagic diathesis, but rarely with multiorgan dysfunction.
Methods: We investigated 48 cases diagnosed serologically with positive IgM ELISA for leptospirosis during January 2002-December 2010 in our hospital.
Results: There were 91.7% males and 8.3% females. Mean age at the time of diagnoses were 43.8 years old with 14.8±DS. The time from the first symptoms until they presented to hospital were 7.1 days. Signs and symptoms were: myalgia in 83.3%, fever with average 38.6°C in 79.29%, fatigue in 77.1%, headache in 72.9%, gastrointestinal symptoms in 50.0%, and jaundice in 45.8% of cases. Laboratory examinations in peripheral blood test revealed: thrombocytopenia in 70.8%, hyperleukocytosis in 66.6%, and leucopenia in 2% of cases. Hepatic abnormalities were found in 79.1%, pulmonary manifestations were found in 41.6%, renal insufficiency in 29.1%, cardiac complication (dysfunctions of rhythms) were found in 22.9% and 4.2% were complicated by pericardial effusion. One patient (2%) was complicated with intracranial hemorrhage. Three patients (6.25%) died from multi-organ failure and one (2%) died from respiratory failure.
Conclusion: Leptospirosis should be considered early in the diagnosis of any patient with acute, non-specific febrile illness with multiorgan system involvement.