Key points
- During hurricanes or heavy rain, urine (pee) from infected animals can contaminate soil and water and make people sick.
- Cases of leptospirosis can increase after hurricanes or floods if people have direct contact with contaminated water.
- You can take steps to reduce your risk of leptospirosis after flooding events.
Overview
Leptospirosis is a disease caused by bacteria. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, vomiting, or diarrhea.
Sometimes, the infection worsens and causes kidney or liver damage, meningitis (inflammation around the brain and spinal cord), and trouble breathing. In rare cases, it can lead to death.
During hurricanes or heavy rain, urine (pee) from animals can contaminate soil and water sources like creeks and lakes. People can get leptospirosis by:
- Touching water and soil with urine or body fluids from infected animals
- Touching urine or body fluids from an infected animal
- Eating food or drinking water contaminated by urine
Cases of leptospirosis can increase after hurricanes or floods. Without access to running water, people may drink or bathe in contaminated water. They may also wade in flood waters with cuts in their skin.
What to look out for
Signs and symptoms
The time it takes to get sick after getting leptospirosis is between 2 and 30 days. Early symptoms can include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Chills
- Body or muscle aches
- Vomiting or nausea
- Yellowed skin and eyes (jaundice)
- Red eyes
- Stomach pain or diarrhea
- Rash
Leptospirosis may happen in two phases:
- In the first phase, you may have fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, vomiting, or diarrhea. You may feel better for a while but become ill again.
- Some people may suffer a more severe second phase, with kidney or liver failure, or inflammation around the brain and spinal cord (meningitis).
The illness can last from a few days to more than 3 weeks. Without treatment, it may take several months to get better.
If you think you may have leptospirosis, see a healthcare provider right away so that they can run tests and start you on medicine to treat it.
Prevention tips
- After flooding, make water safe to drink by boiling it or using a chemical treatment like Aquatabs.
- Cover cuts or scratches with waterproof bandages or other coverings that seal out water.
- Don't get into, bathe, or swallow floodwater or any fresh water source that may have animal urine in it.
- Wear waterproof protective clothing and shoes near water or soil that may be contaminated with animal urine.
- Keep rodents away by putting food, water, and trash in closed containers, and trapping rodents.