Version: April 2024
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects both humans and animals. It is caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira. In humans, it can cause a wide range of symptoms, and some infected persons may have no symptoms at all. Symptoms of leptospirosis include high fever, severe headache, chills, muscle aches, and vomiting, and may include jaundice, red eyes, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or rash. If the infection is not treated, the patient could develop kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure, and respiratory distress. In rare cases, death occurs.
Over the decade, Leptospirosis cases in the Chinese mainland showcased some seasonality with spikes typically in late summer and autumn with peaks in September and October. The number of cases ranged from a minimum of 1 in 2020 March to a maximum of 207 in 2014 December. From 2014 to 2024, there seems to be a general decrease in the overall trend of cases, despite some yearly fluctuations. Furthermore, there is a notable sharp rise in cases observed in December of 2014, however, this spike doesn’t appear to repeat in subsequent years.
Despite the fluctuations in case numbers, the death rate remained generally low, with no deaths in most months. During the period analyzed, the highest number of Leptospirosis-related deaths in a single month was 4 in September 2020 and October 2020. But generally, the fatality rate from Leptospirosis appears to be quite modest, and it doesn’t show a specific trend or pattern over time. This might be attributable to effective healthcare interventions as well as prompt diagnosis and treatment procedures.