[Leptospirosis and environment (author's transl)].

Occupational groups are divided into two groups: 1. Direct contact with animals (14 per cent): veterinary work, hunting, slaughtering, butchers and pork-butchers' work. 2. Contact with natural environment. Transmission is indirect, through water, aquatic environment: stall-keepers, drivers dealing with dumping grounds, scavengers, persons working underground, in cellars, sewers, and particularly agricultural workers, market-gardeners, cattle raisers; bathers and anglers who have direct contact with water. This mode of transmission: rural areas, agriculture, is recorded in 38 per cent of the cases. Contamination through water represents 27 per cent. Leptospiral diseases occur in 4/5 of the cases when Man is in contact with Nature. In most cases, 86 per cent, Leptospirosis is an environmental disease caused by wet ground, aquatic environment.