Lviv region: two new leptospirosis cases, one linked to water from a forest spring

Two new cases of the disease registered

The Lviv Regional Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reported the detection of two new leptospirosis cases in the region. Both incidents have a clear epidemiological link to specific actions by the patients: working on a household plot and consuming water from natural springs.

Case details and symptoms

According to medical services, the first patient was a 50-year-old man, a resident of a rural area. He worked on his own plot without protective gloves. The second case involves a 66-year-old woman who, while on holiday in Zakarpattia, walked through the forest and drank water from forest springs.

In both patients, the consultation with doctors took place on the fifth day after the appearance of the first signs of the illness. The initial clinical picture included a rise in body temperature, headache, general weakness, as well as pain in the calf muscles and the lumbar region. Later, these symptoms were joined by nausea, vomiting, and jaundice.

Disease statistics in 2026

Since the beginning of 2026, a total of 10 cases of leptospirosis have been recorded in the territory of Lviv region. For comparison, during the same period last year, 19 cases were registered, three of which ended fatally. No fatal cases have been recorded this year.

Infection mechanism and risk groups

Experts explain that leptospirosis is a dangerous infectious disease caused by bacteria of the Leptospira genus. The pathogen is excreted in the urine of infected animals, predominantly rodents, thereby entering water and moist soil.

Carriers of the infection can be both wild and domestic animals: rodents, cattle, horses, sheep, goats, pigs, rabbits, hares, deer, and hedgehogs. The disease can run in a severe form, accompanied by damage to the kidneys, liver, and nervous system.

Incubation period and signs

From the moment of infection to the onset of clinical manifestations of the disease, it usually takes from 7 to 14 days, although this period may vary between 2 and 30 days. The initial symptoms of leptospirosis often resemble the flu, acute respiratory viral infections, or COVID-19.