Leptospirosis and acute respiratory failure: report of 34 cases

Leptospirosis is generally found in tropical regions but it can occur in temperate regions. It is caused by all kinds of leptospiras and it is, in general, a self limited disease. However, reports of important complications as acute respiratory failure (ARF), associated or not with other organic dysfunction had increased in the last years and had been associated with a high mortality rate [1].