Recent reports on leptospirosis have focused on its epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis. The disease continues to be a major public health problem in the tropics, as evidenced by several recent reports from India and the Caribbean. In the United Kingdom, leptospirosis cases predominate in agricultural workers, while recreational exposure and household pets are important sources of infection in the United States. Several recent clinical reports emphasize that severe pulmonary involvement can complicate leptospirosis. Another investigation concerned a group of adult patients with pancreatitis, previously thought to occur mainly in children. Current methods of diagnosis are clearly unsatisfactory, but much research activity is directed at improving this situation. These are grounds for optimism that better diagnostic tests will be available in the near future.