Abstract
Unspecific flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache and limb pain are encountered very often by general practitioners and in emergency departments. In patients with sepsis and a history of travelling to warmer climates, the differential diagnosis needs to be broader than just commonly encountered viral infections. A 27-year-old Swiss man presented with the symptoms mentioned above after a holiday in the south of France. The pulmonary, hepatic and renal status rapidly deteriorated and the patient required intensive care. The initially suspected diagnosis of leptospirosis could be confirmed serologically during the course of the disease.