Leptospira Test Price in Pakistan: Rs 2,660 at Marham Lab

A leptospira IgM test looks for antibodies against the bacteria that cause leptospirosis. MedlinePlus explains that leptospirosis is an infection caused by leptospira bacteria, and that leptospira bacteria can be found in fresh water that has been soiled by animal urine. At Marham Lab the test costs Rs 2,660, reduced from Rs 3,800.

MedlinePlus states you may get infected if you consume or come in contact with contaminated water or soil, and that the infection occurs in warmer climates. On prevention it is direct: avoid areas of stagnant water or floodwater, especially in tropical climates.

That makes this a seasonal question in Pakistan. After monsoon flooding, with standing water in streets and fields and livestock nearby, a fever that starts a week or two later deserves this diagnosis in the list. It is not a rare-disease curiosity here, it is an exposure almost everyone has had.

MedlinePlus also notes that leptospirosis is not spread from person to person, except in very rare cases. A family member with it is not a danger to you. The water is.

Both arrive after the rains, both start with fever, headache and severe muscle pain, and both can involve the liver. The treatments are not the same. Dengue has no antibiotic, leptospirosis does.

MedlinePlus states that symptoms can take 2 to 30 days, average 10 days, to develop, and lists: dry cough, fever, headache, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, and shaking chills.

Less common symptoms it lists include abdominal pain, abnormal lung sounds, bone pain, redness of the whites of the eyes without fluid, enlarged lymph glands, enlarged spleen or liver, joint aches, muscle rigidity, muscle tenderness, skin rash and sore throat.

Red eyes without discharge, together with marked muscle tenderness in the calves, is the pattern that should make a doctor think of this rather than dengue. If you have had floodwater contact, say so without waiting to be asked.

MedlinePlus lists three routes.

• Occupational exposure. Farmers, ranchers, slaughterhouse workers, trappers, veterinarians, loggers, sewer workers, rice field workers, and military personnel
• Recreational activities. Fresh water swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and trail biking in warm areas
• Household exposure. Pet dogs, domesticated livestock, rainwater catchment systems, and infected rodents

Rice field workers, sewer workers, livestock at home and rodents cover a very large number of Pakistani households and occupations.

MedlinePlus states that the blood is tested for antibodies to the bacteria, and that during some phases of the illness the bacteria themselves can be detected using PCR testing.

Other tests it lists are a complete blood count, creatine kinase, liver enzymes, urinalysis and blood cultures. Creatine kinase is worth noting, since it reflects the muscle involvement that makes this illness so painful. See our [CPK page](/labs/tests/cpk-test-price).

MedlinePlus names ampicillin, azithromycin, ceftriaxone, doxycycline and penicillin as medicines used to treat leptospirosis, and notes that complicated or serious cases may need supportive care, and you may need treatment in a hospital intensive care unit.

On outlook it gives both halves honestly: the outlook is generally good, however a complicated case can be fatal if it is not treated promptly.

That sentence is the argument for testing early rather than waiting out a fever. MedlinePlus lists the complications as a Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction when penicillin is given, meningitis, and severe bleeding. The severe form, it notes, is called Weil disease.

It advises contacting your provider if you have any symptoms of, or risk factors for, leptospirosis. Risk factors alone are enough.

MedlinePlus says to avoid stagnant water and floodwater, and that if you are exposed to a high risk area you should take precautions: wear protective clothing, shoes, or boots when near water or soil contaminated with animal urine. It also notes that you can take doxycycline to decrease the risk, which is a prophylaxis decision for a doctor, not a self-prescription.

For flood-affected areas the practical version is boots rather than sandals, covering cuts before wading, and washing after contact.