Hemorrhagic Jaundice

Hemorrhagic jaundice is a severe form of leptospirosis, a bacterial infection acquired through contact with water or soil contaminated with animal urine and that mainly affects the liver and kidneys.

Common symptoms: Yellow coloring of the skin and eyes, fever, intense muscle aches, bleeding and decreased urine may occur. The combination of jaundice with bleeding signals a serious condition.

Common causes: Exposure to standing water, floods or environments with rodents present favors transmission.

Which specialist should you see? The gastroenterologist takes part in the workup when there is liver involvement, within care that is usually joint and urgent. If yellow coloring appears together with fever and malaise after contact with contaminated water, seek a professional evaluation as soon as possible.