Key points from today’s guests:

Dr. Sean Kumer, chief medical officer, Kansas City Division, The University of Kansas Health System

• Today, we're exploring a bacterial disease that can infect both humans and their pets, especially our four legged friends dogs.
• It's called leptospirosis, or sometimes just lepto, and can cause range of symptoms, from mild to life threatening.
• We're hearing from two people who acquired this infection. One says she got a mild case from her dog, but the other endured a truly life-or-death experience.

David Kaemmer, survived severe leptospirosis

• Within a week after returning from vacation to Jamaica, David fell ill and thought it was the flu or pneumonia, but there was more going on.
• He went to several medical institutions before landing in the ICU with organ failure and was transferred to The University of Kansas Health System.
• Doctors were able to stop his health from deteriorating and diagnosed him with a severe form of leptospirosis.
• David had to go through extensive rehab and has a whole new appreciation for the rehab team and for people that have to go through it.
• He is so thankful for the support he had to get back to normal health.

Sara Kaemmer, David’s wife

• The whole staff jumped into David’s care immediately to help stop his organs from failing while they tried to diagnose the illness.
• We knew we were in the right place with the Health System and had trust in the staff.
• This is a situation you can’t plan for.
• She put up a “blessings board” in his hospital room to list the positives in his recovery.
• She recommends that if you get sick from a vacation, be sure to tell your doctors where you were because that could help with the diagnosis.

Amy Anderson, contracted leptospirosis from her dog

• Her dog Archie had not yet had his vaccination for leptospirosis and he may have gotten it from rolling in puddles in the yard that was frequented by a family of foxes.
• Archie ended up becoming lethargic and Amy took him the vet, where they diagnosed him with a foreign object in his stomach and sent him home.
• But he got worse and she took him to another vet, where they treated him for leptospirosis.
• A few days later, Amy started feeling sick and reached out to KU because she thought she might have caught leptospirosis from her dog.
• Both are doing very well today and she suggests that people advocate for the health of themselves and their pets.

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director, Infection Prevention & Control, The University of Kansas Health System

• Leptospirosis is in the environment and people can come into contact with it through animal urine.
• A common point of exposure is when people cross through creeks or swim in natural areas.
• We only diagnose this disease about once or twice a year.
• David was able to get treatment with doxycycline.
• Severe cases of leptospirosis can occur in about 5-15 percent of people who get it.
• Separately, new COVID vaccines have been approved and are coming soon.

Thursday, Aug. 29 at 8 a.m. is the next All Things Heart. More than 11 percent of the American population has diabetes. But scientists are now discovering that it can increase your risk of heart disease. You’ll meet a woman who discovered this and show you how doctors helped her navigate her health…and how it affected her career choice.

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