An animal attendant at the zoo developed symptoms that included fever, chills, headache, severe myalgia, and malaise. His urinalysis revealed the presence of protein and blood. A couple of weeks earlier, the attendant was handling the chimpanzees, and one of the chimps urinated on him. What is the most likely cause of illness?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The symptoms and presentation suggest leptospirosis, which is a bacterial infection caused by the spirochete Leptospira. Exposure to infected animal urine, especially from rodents, livestock, or wildlife, is a known risk factor for leptospirosis. Borrelia is the causative agent for Lyme disease, which can present with similar symptoms but exposure to chimpanzee urine does not increase the risk for Lyme disease. Treponema causes syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection with a different symptom profile. Helicobacter is a bacterium associated with stomach ulcers, which does not match the clinical presentation.

An Animal Attendant at the Zoo Developed Symptoms That Included