All possible steps to control rat fever

1,150 have died and 4,500 patients have been reported so far:

Nadira Gunatilleke

COLOMBO: The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry has already taken all possible steps to control the epidemic. Required drugs have been already sent to relevant hospitals and all Government health institutions, a Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry spokesman said..

The number of deaths reported in Sri Lanka due to Rat Fever (Leptospirosis) up to last Friday is 1,150 and 4,500 leptospirosis patients have been reported. This is an alarming increase of the rat fever epidemic in the country within the last eight and half months. Only 34 deaths were reported in 2007 due to rat fever and the number of reported cases were 2195, the spokesman said.

He said that Gampaha, Matale, Kalutara, Kegalle, Colombo, Kandy, Kurunegala, Matara, Hambantota and Anuradhapura are the worst affected districts. The total number of districts affected is 12. Statistics have been taken from 16 state hospitals. Emerging high risk areas are Anuradhapura and Ratnapura.

Awareness raising programmes have been conducted for farmers’ organisations and other vulnerable groups and the assistance of Agricultural Ministry and Urban Development Ministry will also be obtained to expand awareness raising programmes.

Arrangements have also been made to implement a pilot project at Meerigama and Divulapitiya in the Gampaha district to destroy rats. The project will be extended to other areas depending on its success, he added.

According to the spokesman vulnerable people such as farmers, persons who clean drains, people who work in mines, marshy lands, canals and persons who swim or play in contaminated water should contact the PHI or MOH and obtain `Doxycychine’ tablets and they should take two tablets before they start their work.

The tablets gives around 90 per cent protection for a period of one week. Then they should take two tablets again until they finish their work. She warned the public to avoid contaminated water such as flood water. Boiled water should be used. The paddy fields should be kept clean without garbage and places with still water should be drained.

The main symptoms of rat fever are abrupt onset of high fever, mild flu, chills, conjunctival suffusion, muscle tenderness (notable in calf and lumber areas), intense headache, jaundice and decrease of passing urine.

The symptoms arise after 5 to 14 days of infection. It is very important to seek medical treatment as early as possible from a Government hospital.

The disease can be completely cured if medical treatment given on time but it is difficult to save the life of a patient who seeks medical treatment when the disease comes to later stages where renal failure, heart failure and other symptoms appear.

Rat Fever is an infectious disease caused by pathogenic bacteria and live in the kidneys of animals such as rats, pigs, cattle, rodents, canines and wild mammals. It comes to soil, water or food through their urine and enters into human body through cuts, wounds, nasal, oral, eye or mucous membranes. The bacteria lives in the environment for over a period of one month.