- Leptospirosis, a potentially deadly disease caused by corkscrew-shaped Leptospira bacteria, primarily impacts economically disadvantaged regions like slums in developing countries where it is a serious issue.
- Elsio Wunder, an assistant professor, has been studying leptospirosis in Brazil for almost 30 years, focusing on a specific community in Salvador and working to understand the disease’s patterns of infection caused by different serovars.
- The study collects blood samples, conducts interviews, and gathers geolocational data to study aspects that enhance transmission, such as flooding areas and rat hotspots.
- Understanding risk factors is crucial as there is no vaccine available for humans, and available animal vaccines do not prevent the spread of the disease.
- With increasing cases of leptospirosis in regions like New York City due to factors like climate change and economic inequality, research like Wunder’s is vital to educate communities and prevent disease outbreaks.
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Infectious Diseases, Public Health & Prevention, Research