Leptospirosis meningitis transmission from a pet mouse: a case report

• Published in: Journal of medical case reports 2019-11, Vol.13 (1), p.362-362, Article 362
• Main Authors: Nordholm, Anne Christine, Omland, Lars Haukali, Villumsen, Steen, Al-Subeihe, Imad, Katzenstein, Terese L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Antibiotics; Bilirubin; Blood; C-reactive protein; Case Report; Case reports; Ceftriaxone - therapeutic use; Conjunctivitis; Diarrhea; Emerging disease; Enzymes; Family medical history; Female; Fever; Gram-negative bacteria; Headache; Headaches; Hospitalization; Humans; Infections; Infectious diseases; Leptospira interrogans; Leptospirosis; Leptospirosis - diagnosis; Leptospirosis - drug therapy; Leptospirosis - etiology; Leptospirosis - transmission; Liver; Meningitis; Meningitis, Bacterial - diagnosis; Meningitis, Bacterial - drug therapy; Meningitis, Bacterial - etiology; Meningitis, Bacterial - transmission; Mice - microbiology; Myalgia; Patients; Pets; Pets - microbiology; Polymerase chain reaction; Proteins; Rodent Diseases - microbiology; Rodent Diseases - transmission; Rodents; Tazobactam; Tropical diseases; Urine; Zoonoses; Zoonoses - diagnosis; Zoonoses - drug therapy; Zoonoses - etiology; Zoonoses - transmission; Zoonosis
• ISSN: 1752-1947; 1752-1947
• DOI: 10.1186/s13256-019-2265-7

Leptospirosis is a reemerging zoonosis with a worldwide distribution and a wide range of clinical manifestations. We report a case of leptospirosis meningitis in a previously healthy woman infected by her pet mouse. A 27-year-old Caucasian woman with pet mice presented to our institute with a 1 week history of fever, headache, myalgia, vomiting, diarrhea, and dark urine. Her admission examination revealed neck stiffness, conjunctivitis, and icteric sclera. Her liver enzymes, bilirubin, white blood cell count, and C-reactive protein were elevated. Her cerebrospinal fluid showed an elevated white blood cell count. Polymerase chain reactions using her cerebrospinal fluid, blood, and urine showed negative results for leptospirosis, but the result of her microagglutination test was positive for Leptospira interrogans serovar sejroe with a more than threefold increase in paired sera. The patient was treated with ceftriaxone for 1 week, and her condition steadily improved. This case report raises awareness of pet rodents as sources of leptospirosis. Leptospirosis meningitis should be considered in patients with meningeal symptoms and pet rodents.