Leptospirosis in Animals

What to know

  • Leptospirosis has a range of symptoms in animals, from mild disease to organ failure or death.
  • Treatment usually helps animals get better, but organ damage caused by leptospirosis can be permanent.
  • Some animals can be vaccinated to prevent infection.
  • You can help prevent leptospirosis being passed from animals to people.
man with pigs

Overview

Leptospirosis is a disease that can affect people and animals, including your pets and farm animals, as well as wild animals like wild pigs and marine mammals. The bacteria that causes leptospirosis are spread through the urine (pee) of infected animals. The bacteria can contaminate water or soil, where it can survive for weeks to months.

Just like people, animals can become infected through contact with contaminated urine (pee) or body fluids of an infected animal or contact with contaminated water or soil. Leptospirosis signs and symptoms in animals can vary widely, and some animals don't show symptoms at all.

Leptospirosis in Different Animals

Dogs and Cats

Almost every dog is at risk of leptospirosis, whether they live in the country, suburbs, or city through:

  • Direct contact with infected urine (pee) or contaminated water sources, especially drinking from slow-moving or stagnant water sources, like ponds, rivers, lakes, or streams
  • Bite wounds or skin damage from other animals, including rodents or farm animals
  • Eating infected body tissues or organs
  • Being born to an infected mother

Dogs can be at higher risk if they roam where they may be exposed to infected wildlife or farm animals, or contaminated water sources. They are also at higher risk if they have contact with other dogs at dog parks or boarding or training facilities.

At first, dogs may have the following symptoms:

  • Fever
  • Depression
  • Lethargy (not moving much)
  • Loss of appetite
  • Joint or muscle pain
  • Eye and nasal discharge
  • Changes in how much they pee
  • Jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin)

Within a few days, dogs infected with leptospirosis may start throwing up, be dehydrated, and have back pain from kidney failure.

Cats can become infected with leptospirosis, but compared to other animals, they are considered resistant because they rarely show symptoms. Infected cats may shed leptospirosis in their urine for years.

Vaccines to prevent leptospirosis in dogs and cats are available in the United States.

Farm Animals (cows, horses, sheep, goats, and pigs)

Farm animals contract leptospirosis through:

  • Breeding with infected animals
  • Direct contact with infected urine (pee) or contaminated water sources, especially drinking from slow-moving or stagnant water sources, like ponds, rivers, lakes, or streams
  • Bite wounds or skin damage from other animals, including rodents or other farm animals
  • Eating infected animal body tissue and organs
  • Being born to an infected mother

Cows

Leptospirosis in cows is a well-recognized disease that affects their reproductive system. It shows up in two ways:

  • Chronic infection (also called silent infection) is more common; symptoms include pregnancy loss in animals (abortion) and going back into heat after already being pregnant (estrus repetition).
  • Acute infection is not as common, and it's usually seen as an outbreak; symptoms include abortions at any time of a pregnancy and the birth of weak offspring. Lactating cows sometimes have milk that looks red from blood.

Goats and sheep

Sheep can become infected with leptospirosis, but because they rarely show symptoms, sheep are considered resistant to the disease when compared to cows and pigs. Goats with leptospirosis do show symptoms, but there is less available information about leptospirosis in goats.

Signs in goats:

  • Abortion (pregnancy loss in animals)
  • Stillbirth
  • Birth of weak offspring
  • Infertility

There is a vaccine available to control leptospirosis in cows, goats, and sheep, and antimicrobials can help treat animals that have been diagnosed with the disease. Good animal management practices can help prevent and reduce the spread of leptospirosis.

Horses

Leptospirosis is common in horses in the United States. Signs in horses:

  • Fever
  • Eye infection that keeps coming back (uveitis)
  • Abortion (pregnancy loss in animals)
  • Acute kidney failure

There is a vaccine that helps avoid severe infection in horses. You can help prevent and reduce the spread of leptospirosis through good management practices.

Domestic pigs and wild pigs (feral swine)

Leptospirosis is a common disease of pigs and feral swine throughout the world. It can be a major cause of reproductive loss, including abortions, stillbirths, or weak piglets.

Hunters and other people who may come in contact with infected feral swine might get leptospirosis. Feral swine may also spread leptospirosis to pets, farm animals, and other wildlife. Signs in pigs and feral swine:

  • Fever
  • Abortion (pregnancy loss in animals)
  • Stillbirth
  • Birth of weak or sick piglets
  • Jaundice
  • Acute kidney failure

Vaccination can help avoid infection in pigs. You can help prevent and reduce the spread of leptospirosis through good livestock management practices.

Marine Mammals

Leptospira, the bacterium that causes leptospirosis, was first found in 1970 in California sea lions along the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington. Since the 1980s, there have been yearly seasonal outbreaks in the sea lions, with severe outbreaks every 4-5 years.

Other marine mammals that can be infected with leptospirosis include the northern fur seal, elephant seal, and Pacific harbor seal. Signs in marine mammals:

  • Increased drinking and peeing
  • Depression
  • Don't want to use hind flippers
  • Acute kidney failure

If you find a stranded or dead marine mammal, stay away from the animal, keep your pets leashed, and contact the local stranding network.

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Common symptoms of leptospirosis in animals can be seen in this printable chart.
Common symptoms of leptospirosis in animals can be seen in this printable chart.

Treatment in Animals

If you think an animal may have leptospirosis, contact a veterinarian immediately. The veterinarian can perform tests to see whether or not the animal has the disease and start treatment as soon as possible.

If an animal is treated early with antibiotics, it may recover faster, and it can help prevent severe organ damage. They may also need other treatment methods, such as dialysis and fluids.

Prevention in Animals

To help prevent leptospirosis infection, keep rodent problems (rats, mice, or other animal pests) under control. Rodents can carry and spread the bacteria that cause leptospirosis.

In the United States, you can get dogs, cats, cows, sheep, goats, pigs, and horses vaccinated against leptospirosis. The vaccine doesn't provide 100% protection because there are many strains of the bacteria that cause leptospirosis, and the vaccine doesn't provide immunity against all strains. Get animals vaccinated even if they get leptospirosis because the vaccine might cover different strains, and it may help avoid more severe disease.

In farm animals, preventing leptospirosis may include a combination of vaccination and livestock management practices:

  • Avoid co-grazing or mixing with other animal species, especially pigs
  • Avoid introducing new animals into a herd without quarantine, health assessment, and vaccination
  • Avoid bull- or boar-sharing for reproductive services

Your veterinarian can provide specific recommendations based on your location, number of animals, risk factors and control options.

Preventing Spread from Animals to People

Contact your veterinarian and a healthcare professional if you are concerned you had contact with an infected animal. If animals are not treated completely, they may have the bacteria that causes leptospirosis in their urine for up to three months and spread it to people and other animals.

Follow these guidelines:

  • Don't come in contact with urine or blood from your infected animal before it has received proper treatment.
  • If you must have contact with animal tissues or urine, cover any wounds you have with a waterproof dressing and wear protective clothing like gloves and boots. This is especially important if your job puts you at risk (veterinarians, farm workers, and sewer workers).
  • Always wash your hands after handling your animals or anything that might have animal urine or feces (poop) on it.
  • If you're cleaning surfaces that may be contaminated from an infected animal, use antibacterial cleaning solution or a solution of 1 part household bleach in 10 parts water.
  • Make sure your infected animal takes all prescribed medicine and follow up with your veterinarian.

Resources

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Content Source:
; National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)