It's a potentially fatal disease that you may not have heard of. But it can affect both animals and humans. Doctors say Leptospirosis, once thought to be a farm dog's disease, is much more common than many realize.

Doctors say they're seeing more cases as areas become more developed, but we don't know how many cases there have been in Virginia. That's because state law doesn't require doctors to report the disease to the health department.

Dr. Steven Swanner never expected to find Leptospirosis in Reidsville. So when approached about a new vaccination for the disease, he decided to conduct his own study.

Dr. Steven Swanner, Reidsville Veterinary Hospital - "I went into the whole study thinking it's not there that I'm not going to find anything - just proving to myself that it's not there and that we're okay not vaccinating our animals against it."

But the results surprised Swanner. Up to 16 out of every 100 dogs were exposed to the bacteria.

Swanner - "That's based on just our population - very good clients come in every year for vaccinations, that doesn't include people who don't come in every year for vaccinations that may not be as well taken care of."

Leptospirosis spreads through the urine of infected animals. That can be in just about anything -- garbage, standing water, even food. All things you touch. And that puts you at risk.

Swanner - "Farmers, humans that are veterinarians, of course, there's a big occupational hazard for us because of nonspecific signs, sewage workers, people that are swimming, recreational water rafters, people that again travel."

The disease can spread from dog to dog, and also to humans. That's why doctors say dogs need to be vaccinated, because man's best friend is always around your family. Still, even if your pet has the disease, it's a difficult one to diagnose.

Dr. Corinne McGregor, Southwoods Animal Hospital - That's the scary thing about Leptospirosis it can cause so many different clinical signs."

But some of the symptoms include vomiting, jaundice and trouble breathing.  Dr. Corrine McGregor did diagnose a dog last month in Greensboro.

McGregor - "It had chronically been losing weight even though it was eating very well and it was starting to lose some energy."

The pup had already been vaccinated for the disease, but was likely carrying the bacteria before getting the shot.

McGregor - "We tried to treat him for his kidney failure we had started him on antibiotics to treat the Leptospirosis before we even had the results. But unfortunately his kidney damage had gone on for too long and he wasn't not able to recover so we had to put him to sleep."

While Leptospirosis is more common in tropical climates.  Doctors say diseases don't stop at borders.

Swanner - "If it's here, if it's in Greensboro, I could imagine, it's everywhere."

You want to be especially careful if your dog spends a lot of time outside. Keep their food and water out of the reach of rodents. Because of the non-specific symptoms, Leptospirosis is often misdiagnosed.  If you think your dog has the disease, ask your doctor for a blood test.

web|news) .gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/leptospirosis_g.htm">Click here for more information from the CDC.

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