Leptospira - Jaundice – soft and bent

The many causes of hepatitis (infective jaundice) were unknown in the 19th century, including the viruses of hepatitis A, B, C, E, Epstein-Barr, and yellow fever. In 1886, Adolf Weil (1948 –1916) in Heidelberg, Germany, published 4 cases with acute fever, icterus, enlarged liver and spleen, and nephritis, a syndrome that soon became known as Weil's disease. However, it took about 30 years to discover the causative agent.
Source: Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease - Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Source Type: research