Leptospira spp. are morphologically and phylogenetically unique bacteria that are ubiquitous in the environment. Pathogenic species are the agents of leptospirosis, an emerging zoonotic disease transmitted to both human and animals from the environment contaminated with the urine of reservoir animals. The taxonomy of Leptospira has recently undergone extensive revisions with the use of whole-genome sequences, thus expanding considerably the number of species.
Keywords: Genome; Pathogenesis; Taxonomy; Virulence factors.