If you have been keeping an eye on the news recently, you will have read about an uptick in human cases of leptospirosis being treated at the hospital. This is certainly newsworthy because it is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can be transmitted between humans and animals. So, what is this disease and what can we do to prevent it?

Leptospirosis bacteria can be found worldwide in soil and water. It is more common in areas with warm climates and high annual rainfall, just like Bermuda. One common carrier of this disease is rats, more specifically rat urine. So, where there are rats, there is leptospirosis.

Dogs can become infected in many ways: if their gums or skin wound comes into contact with infected urine, contaminated soil, water, food, or bedding, through a bite from an infected animal, by eating an infected carcass and through the placenta from their mother.

If your dog goes out for a walk and drinks from a contaminated puddle, they could be at risk. Dogs naturally sniff around when out for a walk and are particularly drawn to urine smells as part of their communication system. You can see how infection can occur by dogs just being dogs and going about their natural behaviour patterns.

In the past, experts believed that cats were not susceptible to infection but it is now thought that the bacteria might play a role in long-term kidney disease in this species.

So, what are the symptoms of the disease in dogs?

The first sign is usually vomiting, often blood tinged, but can also include diarrhoea, lack of appetite, lethargy, jaundice, (yellow skin and gums) reduced urination due to kidney failure, and liver disease. These poor pups are very poorly and are often young and always unvaccinated.

Treatment options include antibiotics and supportive care but like so many of our doggy diseases’ prevention is better than cure and this involves a simple vaccination once a year.

Current available vaccines effectively prevent leptospirosis and protect dogs for at least 12 months. Annual vaccination is recommended for all at risk dogs. There is no vaccination currently available for humans or cats, so vaccinating your dog provides a protective shield to other species too.

Unvaccinated dogs put their owners and veterinary staff at risk of disease too. When we treat these animals, we must wear full PPE gear to prevent us from catching this nasty disease and the pups must be isolated from all other animals to avoid contamination.

If the owner is pregnant, has young children, older residents or immune-compromised people living with them, the risk is even higher and can lead to flu-like symptoms and liver or kidney disease.

Discouraging rats from your property is also important. Use a Wheelie Bin with a lid to store trash to prevent rat exposure.

Zoonotic diseases pose a risk to owners and their pets, so please, speak to your vet about dog vaccination and preventative steps and let’s leave leptospirosis where it belongs, in the textbooks and not in our homes.

• Lucy Richardson graduated from Edinburgh University in 2005. She started CedarTree Vets in August 2012 with her husband, Mark. They live at the practice with their two children, Ray and Stella, and their dog, two cats and two guinea pigs. She is also the FEI national head veterinarian for Bermuda