leptospirosis: aka  WEIL'S DISEASE, INFECTIOUS JAUNDICE, PEA PICKER'S DISEASE, SWINEHERD'S DISEASE, contagious disease of animals, occasionally communicable to humans, caused by a pathogenic spirochete of the genus Leptospira. 

Rodents and certain domestic animals excrete live, fully virulent organisms in their urine and contaminate the environment. Leptospires can live for several weeks in fresh water. Infection takes place by direct contact with urine of infected animals or by indirect contact with contaminated
food or water. Leptospires readily penetrate mucous membranes  A scratch or abrasion, as well as the nasal mucosa and eye, are excellent portals of entry. Infections can be traced to wading, swimming, or other contact with water containing virulent leptospires

Usually after an incubation period of about a week, fever, weakness, and pains in the legs, back, and abdominal muscles are noted. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are not uncommon. One characteristic symptom is congestion of the conjunctival blood vessels around the corneas of the eyes. Jaundice may occur after the first week of illness. The death rate is approximately 30 percent of the severely ill and jaundiced patients. (Adapted from the Britannica).

 

Learn more about the topic in:

 

Leptospira and Leptospirosis

Solomon Faine / Hardcover / Published 1993
 

Present State of Leptospirosis Diagnosis and Control (Current Topics in Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science)

W.A. Ellis, T.W.A. Little (Editor) / Hardcover / Published 1986

other interesting  books to consider relating to interspecies biochemistry issues:

Methods to Assess DNA Damage and Repair : Interspecies Comparisons (Scope, 52)

Robert G. Tardiff(Editor), et al / Paperback / Published 1994   - - Integrates data obtained from a variety of disciplines to evaluate the current state of knowledge regarding defense mechanisms and applies this information to estimate health risks to humans exposed to substances that alter genetic material. Recognized experts document, to a large extent, which carcinogens can cause injury to human beings and their surroundings, providing guidance for the structured acquisition of key information to reduce cancer risks throughout the environment.

Aquatic Chemistry : Interfacial and Interspecies Processes (Advances in Chemistry Series, No 244)

C. P. Huang(Editor), et al / Hardcover / Published 1995

Microbiology and Biochemistry of Strict Anaerobes Involved in Interspecies Hydrogen Transfer (Fems Symposium, Vol 54)

Jean-Pierre Belaich, et al / Hardcover / Published 1990