[Leptospirosis--current problems].

Leptospirosis has been known for more than one hundred years zoonosis, caused by pathogenic spirochetes of the genus Leptospira. It occurs most often in tropical countries where the infections of humans are acquired from animals or from environment contaminated by leptospires. In temperate climatic zone main source of infections are animals. In spite of not common occurrence of leptospirosis in temperate climate the disease is still difficult for recognition and treatment. Laboratory diagnosis needs quick and precise methods allowing detect and differentiate leptospires directly in clinical samples. The efficacy of carrier state eradication methods in humans and animals are still unsatisfied. There are also not available vaccines, which enable protection against infections caused by all or majority of pathogenic Leptospira serovars. Furthermore, some climatic and socioeconomic phenomena observed in the last decades can increase the range of favourable circumstances for transmission of Leptospira infections from animals to men. Selected reports concerning cases of leptospiral infections connected with mentioned above phenomena noted in countries located in temperate climatic zone are quoted in the article. Known for many decades sources of infections are also still dangerous and the real scale of this hazard is not precisely estimated. Current data concerning serological screenings among selected species of domestic animals and wildlife as well as examples of described in European countries cases of Leptospira infections transmitted from animals to man are quoted in the article.