Recent Trends in the Pathophysiology of Leptospirosis
A special issue of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease (ISSN 2414-6366).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (23 April 2023) | Viewed by 1739
Special Issue Editors
2. Department of Neural Sciences, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
Interests: infectious diseases; leptospirosis; molecular pathogenesis
Interests: infection and inflammation; mitochondrial biology; Ca2+ and Mg signaling; ion channels
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Leptospirosis is an acute septicemic illness that affects humans and animals. It is caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira. Humans contract leptospiral infection through direct contact with the blood, tissue organs, and urine of infected animals or through indirect contact by exposure to contaminated water, as leptospires are capable of penetrating through the injured mucosa or skin that confronts contaminated water bodies.
Without treatment, leptospirosis can lead to multiorgan failure and even death. The clinical manifestations of leptospirosis range from mild symptoms to severe forms of the disease with jaundice, acute kidney injury (AKI), cardiovascular manifestations, and pulmonary hemorrhages. The early phase of manifestation lasts 3–7 days with fever, headaches, myalgia, nausea, vomiting, malaise, and conjunctival hyperemia. This phase is known as a leptospiral blood bath because it widely circulates in the blood. Further, the severe form of the disease progresses to the second chronic phase, which lasts up to 30 days and initiates more complicated systemic impairments. AKI is one of the reported incidences of a severe form of leptospirosis, the kidney being the principal target organ of Leptospira. Interstitial nephritis is the major pathological alteration that occurs in patients with leptospirosis. Then, pulmonary hemorrhage top to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) occurs, and this establishes the most severe manifestation of lung injury. AKI and ARDS are consistently linked due to their association during leptospirosis, resulting in high fatality rates. Consequently, early identification of hemorrhage syndrome during leptospiral infection is crucial for faster management and a reduction in casualty rates. Apart from these, cardiac arrhythmias can also occur due to atrial fibrillation and atrioventricular blockage.
Thus, effective management strategies need a comprehensive understanding of the pathophysiology of leptospirosis. The disposal of the complete genome sequences of Leptospira interrogans applies to understanding the front-line mechanisms of the pathophysiology of leptospirosis. Injuries to the cell membrane are the reason for severe consequences to the host, such as loss of vascular integrity, ischemia, and necrosis, leading to significant organ dysfunctions. Then, understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis and pathology of leptospirosis at a cellular level is of utmost importance for prognostic and therapeutic applications. This Special Issue invites research papers focused on understanding the pathophysiology of leptospirosis with native to contemporary developments to benefit case management in an effective way to reduce mortality.
Prof. Dr. Kalimuthusamy Natarajaseenivasan
Dr. Santhanam Shanmughapriya
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- Leptospira interrogans
- leptospirosis
- pathogenesis
- pathology
- immune response
- biomarkers
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