Rat fever warning ahead of rainy season

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

The Epidemiology Unit of the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry warned the public to beware of Rat Fever (Leptospirosis) during the rainy season about to commence.

"The number of patients reported during the past nine months is less than the number of patients reported in 2008 but the public needs to be vigilant to avoid avoidable deaths, Director, Epidemiology Unit, Dr. Paba Palihawadana said.

She said that over five million Doxycychine tablets have already sent to State hospitals located in high risk areas such as Colombo, Kalutara, Gampaha, Matara, Matale, Kurunegala and Ratnapura. This year 3,370 Leptospirosis cases have been reported and the number of deaths reported in the same year was 118.

Last year there were 5,345 cases and 187 deaths.

According to Dr. Palihawadana vulnerable people are farmers, persons who clean drains, persons who work in mines, marsh lands, canals and persons who swim or play in contaminated water.

They should contact the PHI or MOH and obtain Doxycychine tablets and take two tablets before they start their work.

The tablets gives around 90 percent protection for a period of one week. Contaminated water such as flood water should be avoided. Boiled water should be used. Persons with cuts and wounds (open injuries) in their legs should cover them properly before stepping into paddy fields, she warned.

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 area and decrease of passing urine.

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. Majority of the affected persons belong to the working force of the country aged between 35 and 55. 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 over a period of one month.