It's a bacterial disease that can make people and animals sick. Bacteria may be found in the urine of various animals, including dogs. Nonetheless, pet owners should vaccinate their dogs against some strains of leptospirosis.

How it spreads : Leptospira is a bacteria that usually spread through the urine of the animals infected with Leptospirosis. Animals that can cause Leptospirosis are  rodents, dogs, cattle, pigs, horses, or other wild animals. On the other hand, people catch this infection due to contact with soil or water contaminated with the infected animals' urine and other body fluids. 

Who is at risk : It can occur anywhere globally, but most commonly, it is found in tropical and subtropical climates. The major cause of this disease is frequent contact with the infected animals or swimming, kayaking, rafting, and wading in the contaminated rivers, lakes, or canals. Furthermore,  people who work closely with animals, such as; veterinarians, sewer workers, farmers, and slaughterhouse workers, are at higher risk of getting infected with leptospirosis.

Signs in dogs : Most of the time, affected dogs don’t show any symptoms. However, in some cases, they might suffer from vomiting, tiredness, fever, lack of appetite,  jaundice, diarrhea, conjunctivitis, or abnormalities in urination. Severe complications may include lung bleeding or liver failure, which eventually results in death. 

Symptoms in people : Usually, infected people don’t show any signs of illness. But sometimes, they may suffer from high fever, vomiting, headache, chills, jaundice, muscle aches, diarrhea, abdominal pain, or a rash. The chances of severe complications, including liver or kidney failure, and hemorrhagic pneumonia, are rare, but if they occur, they can lead to death. Early detection and, more importantly, treatment of this disease can help people to stay healthy.