Edmond Puca
University Hospital Center
ALBANIA
Title: Some dates about leptospirosis in Albania and the role of gender predisposition in leptospirosis
Biography
Biography: Edmond Puca
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a zoonotic spirochetal disease of global importance especially in developing countries, which continues to have a major impact on public health. The incidence of the disease is much higher in males.
Objectives: To describe the evidence regarding to the role of gender in leptospirosis, through a gender specific analysis of the clinical manifestations in patients diagnosed and treated for leptospirosis in our infectious diseases service during the 2006-2015 period and to give some data about leptospirosis in Albania for the last ten years.
Materials and methodology: We reviewed the epidemiologic data, risk factors and differences in clinical presentation between male and female patients. Diagnosis was established based on clinical presentation subsequently confirmed serologically by Anti-Leptospira IgM antbibodies through ELISA test.
Results: Between 2006-2015, 206 cases of confirmed leptospirosis were analysed. 185 (89.8%) were males and 21 patients (10.2%) were females. The highest incidence was observed in the 45-64 age groups. Overall mortality was found to be 7.7%. Mortality among female patients was 4.7%, whereas among males was 8.1%. Chi-square statistical analysis showed a p value of 0.577045, demonstrating no statistical significance in mortality between two genders.
Conclusions: There is a much higher incidence of leptospirosis in middle aged men. Mortality rate seems to be similar in males and female. While the difference in incidence may be related to exposure to risk factors, we believe that further investigations are necessary to study gender-based genetic and immunological predisposition.