Distribution of Human Leptospirosis in Guilan Province, Northern Iran

Background: leptospirosis is the most widespread zoonosis in the world and is more prevalent in tropic al and temperateregions. guilan province in north of iran, is an endemic region of human leptospirosis. since diagnosis of leptospirosis accordingto clinical symptoms is very diffi cult due to lack of characteristic pathogonomic sign (s), laboratory supportis necess ary . methods: in 2003, we obtained blood samples from patients hospitalized in main general hospitals of guilanprovince and were suspected as having leptospirosis according to their clinical presentations. we examined 995 sera by acommercial igm and igg elisa kit to find positive cases . results: 62.7% of pos itive cases were male and about 86% ofthem were farmer. high distr ibution rate of leptospirosis was seen in middle-aged people (65% in 20-50 years old). conclusion:it seems that leptospirosis has a high occurrence in major cities and is mostly distributed in warm months of the year.demographic anal ysis of the results indicates that leptospiro sis is typicall y a rural and an occupational disease in the area.