Getting leptospirosis onto the lists of neglected tropical diseases

Getting leptospirosis onto the lists of neglected tropical diseases Leptospirosis is a globally important infectious disease, but neglected to the extent that it’s not on WHO’s or FDA’s neglected tropical diseases lists; this needs to change. Leptospirosis, caused by spirochetes of the bacterial genus Leptospira, poses a significant yet poorly recognized global public health threat. Incomprehensibly, this disease remains neglected by the global health agenda. Leptospirosis is estimated to cause more than a million cases and over 60,000 deaths annually, with case fatality rates of up to 20%. (1) Hence, leptospirosis is the most important zoonotic bacterial disease worldwide. It is common in tropical regions of low- and middle-income countries such as Brazil, India, China, Indonesia, Peru, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, and it affects high-income countries, too, including the United States and Europe.