infections
Leptospirosis
Diagnosis of Leptospirosis
Culture of blood and urine samples or sometimes a sample of cerebrospinal fluid (obtained by spinal tap) Blood tests for leptospirosis antibodies or genetic material Doctors suspect leptospirosis when characteristic symptoms occur in people who have traveled to an area where an outbreak is occurring. To confirm the diagnosis of leptospirosis, doctors take a sample of blood and urine. These samples are analyzed. If people have symptoms of meningitis, doctors do a Spinal Tap (lumbar puncture) to obtain a sample of the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord (cerebrospinal fluid). Usually, several samples are taken over several weeks. These samples are sent to a laboratory to grow (culture) the bacteria. Identifying the bacteria in cultures or, more commonly, detecting antibodies against the bacteria in blood confirms the diagnosis. The Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) , which produces many copies of a gene, may be used. It helps doctors diagnose leptospirosis quickly. 