INFECTION WITH DIFFERENT SPECIES OF LEPTOSPIRES IN HUSBAND AND WIFE

Leptospirosis occurring in a husband and wife is described. Both were responsible for cleaning up the excreta of a recently acquired puppy. The wife developed leptospirosis canicola, and three months later the husband developed leptospirosis icterohaemorrhagica. Difficulty was experienced in ascertaining the infecting species of leptospire in the husband owing to the agglutination tests giving an equal rise and fall in titres for both L. icterohaemorrhagiae and L. canicola. The diagnosis was only confirmed after cross-absorption tests had been done. The husband developed pulmonary complications on the nineteenth day. The radiological appearances of the chest are discussed, together with a brief review of the literature on the radiological manifestations of pulmonary lesions in Weil's disease.