Leptospirosis en humanos en el municipio Playa La Habana 2000-2010

introduction: leptospirosis is historically considered the zoonosis of bigger international repercussion since it has provoked the bigger number of damages from the social and economical point of view. objective: to describe the social - demographic and clinical characteristics of the persons infected with leptospirosis at playa municipality in havana. method: 153 cases under suspicious of human leptospirosis by the card of obligatory declaration of illness were notified to the municipal zoonosis department. an epidemiological survey was made to 25 confirmed cases being checked 23 cases thatconstitute the universe of this study. the different variables were: age, gender, job, source of infection, reservoir animals, signs and symptoms, frequency of cases by months and elapsed time between the initial symptoms and medical attention. results: the highest frequency was found in male workers among 35 and 44 years old, the source of infection was the high infestation of rodents followed by the direct contact with reservoir animals. there was a prevalence in the second semester of the year and the main symptoms were: fever, migraines, myalgias and athralgias in the slight form of the illness. half of the patients received medical assistance after 72 hours or more of the initial symptoms. conclusions: leptospirosis is an illness of occupational cause where reservoirs, the transmission ways and the infection sources are fundamental aspects to be known in order to take the correct measures of prevention.