Definition of Leptospira
1. Noun. Important pathogens causing Weil's disease or canicola fever.
Medical Definition of Leptospira
1.
Genus of Spirochaete bacteria that cause a mild chronic infection in rats and many domestic animals.
The bacteria are excreted continuously in the urine and contact with infected urine or water can result in infection of humans via cuts or breaks in the skin. Infection causes leptospirosis or Weil's disease, a type of jaundice, that is an occupational hazard for sewerage and farm workers.
This entry appears with permission from the Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology
(11 Mar 2008)
Lexicographical Neighbors of Leptospira
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