Headlines - Leptospirosis in Burgundy and Franche-Comté

Leptospires belong to the phylum of spirochetes, spiral-shaped bacteria of which more than 200 species are known. The animal reservoir, primarily rodents, excretes leptospires in its urine and thus contaminates the aquatic environment, spreading the disease to other animals or to humans. Leptospirosis is not a notifiable disease. Surveillance is conducted using data from the National Reference Center (CNR) for Leptospirosis. The CNR, in collaboration with the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance, relies on a network of medical biology laboratories in mainland France and overseas territories and participates in the investigation of clusters of cases.

The average incidence in mainland France for the years 2006–2010 ranged from 0.30 to 0.55 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (180 to 350 cases per year). For the year 2010 (the latest available, as 2011 has not yet been published), the highest incidence is reported in Franche-Comté (incidence of 1.71 cases per 100,000 inhabitants), particularly in the Doubs department (10 cases), followed by the Rhône-Alpes region (1.01 cases per 100,000 inhabitants) and Burgundy (0.61 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, six cases in Saône-et-Loire). The annual distribution in mainland France confirms the seasonal nature of leptospirosis, with a peak in summer and fall (more than 50% of cases occur between August and October).