Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease
Volume 8, Issue 1 , Pages 33-39 , January 2010

Leptospirosis: An emerging disease in travellers

  • Colleen Lau

      Affiliations

    • School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Herston Road, Herston, Qld 4006, Australia
    • Travel Medicine Centre Perth, Ground Floor 5 Mill St, Perth, WA 6000, Australia
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author at: PO Box 12426, George St, Brisbane, Qld 4003, Australia. Tel.: +61 402134878; fax: +61 7 3365 5599.
  • ,
  • Lee Smythe

      Affiliations

    • WHO/FAO/OIE Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Leptospirosis, Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services, Coopers Plains, Qld 4108, Australia
  • ,
  • Philip Weinstein

      Affiliations

    • School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Herston Road, Herston, Qld 4006, Australia

Received 6 October 2009 ,Revised 8 December 2009 ,Accepted 9 December 2009.

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PII: S1477-8939(09)00180-X

doi: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2009.12.002

Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease
Volume 8, Issue 1 , Pages 33-39 , January 2010