The most common presentation involved nonspecific signs or symptoms, including
fever, myalgia, and headache. Jaundice occurred in 39% of cases; conjunctival
suffusion was described in 28% of these cases.
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1: Clin Infect Dis 2001 Dec 1;33(11):1834-41 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut  

Assessment of the clinical presentation and treatment of 353 cases of
laboratory-confirmed leptospirosis in hawaii, 1974-1998.

Katz AR, Ansdell VE, Effler PV, Middleton CR, Sasaki DM.

Department of Public Health Sciences and Epidemiology, John A. Burns School of

Leptospirosis is frequently misdiagnosed as a result of its protean and
nonspecific presentation. Leptospirosis, a zoonosis with global distribution,
commonly occurs in tropical and subtropical regions; most reported cases in the
United States occur in Hawaii. All laboratory-confirmed leptospirosis cases in
the State of Hawaii from 1974 through 1998 (n=353) were clinically evaluated.
The most common presentation involved nonspecific signs or symptoms, including
fever, myalgia, and headache. Jaundice occurred in 39% of cases; conjunctival
suffusion was described in 28% of these cases. Initiation of antibiotics before
the seventh day of symptoms was associated with a significantly shortened
duration of illness. Because early recognition and initiation of antibiotic
therapy are important, clinicians should familiarize themselves with the
clinical presentation of leptospirosis, and when evaluating a patient with a
febrile illness, they should obtain exposure and travel histories and entertain
the possibility of leptospirosis in the differential diagnosis.

PMID: 11692294 [PubMed - in process]

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