What is "leptospira"

n. important pathogens causing Weil's disease or canicola fever

Leptospira ( Greek leptos, "fine, thin" and Latin spira, "coil") is a genus of spirochaete bacteria, including a small number of pathogenic and saprophytic species. Leptospira was first observed in 1907 in kidney tissue slices of a leptospirosis victim who was described as having died of " yellow fever."