Topic 5: Leptospirosis

Leptospirosis usually found in the rainy season. It is a disease which comes from rat’s urine and other rodents such as squirrels and foxes, even so these animals are not infected.

Cause of disease

This disease comes from bacteria which live in the mud, water, canal or flooded area. The suitable environment for the bacteria is the area that is moist, has light and is moderately

acid. Outbreaks often happen in October and November.

Risk groups people who will be infected.

- Agriculturist, peasant, orchardist

- Workers in cow, pig or fish farms

- Digging sewers, mine and abattoir laborers

- Other groups such as doctors, researchers, soldiers and policemen who work in the forest.

- Other people who live in flooded areas or areas where rats live.

Infection

Transmitter animals are rodents such as rats especially rice rats and voles. The second group of animals is dogs, cows and buffalos which will keep the disease in their kidneys. When they urinate, the disease will be spoiled onto soil and into water.

- When a person touches the disease it may enter through a wound, mouth, eyes or wet skin.

- May be infected by drinking or eating food that contains the disease.

The major symptoms

They can be divided into 2 groups.

1. Group of asymptomatic jaundice or mid severe: After being infected for 10-26 days with an average of 10 days, the patient will show symptoms which are hard muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and high fever. Some may be bored with food, have diarrhea, stomachache, conjunctivitis, eye pain, body rash or blood bruises on the skin.

2. Building immunity period: If they have a blood check, it will show the immunity. Patient will have a fever again, headache, stiff neck, membrane inflammation and the disease will be found in the urine.

The group of people that are jaundice will have fever and it will be more severe, have rashes on the palate, bleeding under the skin, may cough blood. Jaundice symptoms will occur

after 4 days. Patients may die during this period or at the beginning of the third period by renal failure.

In order to prevent Leptospirosis, the recommendations are as follows

1. Rid the rats and clean the environment to be hygienic to prevent the mice from breeding.

2. Avoid bathing in water which the cows and buffalos drink or bath in.

3. Avoid soaking in water or treading the mud with bare feet especially when having a wound on legs, feet or other parts of the body.

4. Avoid walking barefoot in the rice fields or in the stables.

5. Wear rubber gloves, rubber boots and clothes when working in the field or damp.

6. Bath with clean water and soap immediately after having trampled the mud or coming back from the field.

7. Do not dissect animals without wearing gloves.

8. Do not eat meat or entrails without cooking or fresh vegetables from the field without rinsing thoroughly. Avoid ingesting or swallowing dirty water. Don’t open the eyes when in dirty water.

9. Avoid drinking water or eating food which has been stored in an open container because mice

may have urinated on them.