COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF LEPTOSPIROSIS: A REPORT ON 11 CASES

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Abstract
Eleven U. S. Marines swam in a stagnant pond on Okinawa 9 to 14 days before the onset of an acute, febrile illness. Their laboratory findings were consistent with mild hepatic and renal damage. After the 7th day of illness, 3 patients were found to have pleocytosis. The delayed "aseptic" meningitis in these 3 patients was consistent with the biphasic concept of leptospirosis whereby a "septicemic" phase is thought to be followed in 5 to 7 days by an "immune" phase. Serologic confirmation of leptospiral disease was obtained on study of paired sera of 10 patients. Diagnostic but comparatively low titers were obtained by agglutination studies, using the following serotypes: Leptospira autumnalis A, L. hebdomadis, and L. semarang. In the 10 patients studied serologically, either a fourfold or greater rise in titer occurred during the course of the illness or a titer of 1:400 or greater was sustained in those patients whose first serum specimens were obtained on or after the 7th day of illness. The specific serotype causing the illness in this group could not be inferred from the data because of the cross-reactions among the leptospiral serotypes. The clinical course of the 11 patients resembled that of the common, milk form of leptospirosis which can follow infection with any of the leptospiral species.

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