Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40481572›Full record

ReviewTropical diseases, travel medicine and vaccines2025

Addressing the burden of leptospirosis in Africa.

Colin Musara, Frank Kapungu

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Tropical diseases, travel medicine and vaccines, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Neuroimmune cross-talk inFrontiers in immunology · 2026
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Colin MusaraUniversity of Namibia, Private Bag 13301, Pioneers Park, Windhoek, Namibia. cmusara@unam.na.
Frank KapunguUniversity of Zimbabwe, P.O. Box MP167, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Leptospirosis is a zoonosis of global distribution. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has designated leptospirosis a nationally notifiable disease. There is need to raise awareness of the burden of leptospirosis among health care givers and policy makers in Africa. The aim of this review was to highlight the current situation of leptospirosis in Africa and suggest a One Health approach of addressing its status as a leading zoonosis. In tropical regions, the nonspecific symptoms of fever, myalgia and arthralgia result in misdiagnosis of leptospirosis with malaria, yellow fever, typhoid fever, dengue fever, brucellosis, rickettsiosis, and babesiosis. Urinalysis presents an inexpensive diagnostic aid for leptospirosis. Humans with leptospirosis exhibit proteinuria, glucosuria, pyuria, haematuria and granular casts resulting from acute kidney injury. Therapeutic guidelines for empirical treatment of febrile patients should be considered. Febrile patients who test negative for malaria and yellow fever can benefit from doxycycline, which also treats brucellosis, rickettsiosis and typhoid fever. Control of leptospirosis should also address Leptospira infection in domestic animal reservoirs through vaccination of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and dogs in endemic areas. Treatment of sick animals with streptomycin eliminates the carrier status, curbing leptospiruria and spread of infection. Rodents are important in transmission of Leptospira to humans in urban slums and rural settings therefore rodent control strategies help in reducing transmission of leptospirosis. Indirect transmission of Leptospira occurs through contact with water, vegetation, or soil contaminated with infected urine. Drinking water should be drawn from protected sources or chlorinated before household use.

Indexed as

AfricaChlorinationDoxycyclineLeptospirosisRodent controlStreptomycinUrinalysisVaccinationZoonosis

Identifiers

PMID40481572
PMCPMC12144825

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.