Rat fever through Kohila

Nadira Gunatilleke

Do you know the latest way the rat fever (Leptospirosis) is spreading?

Well it is through your Kohila (Lacia Aculeata) Wila. People can be affected by rat fever if they get pricked by the Kohila thorns on which rats urinate. So the people who pick Kohila from their garden to sell in markets or for their own consumption can get this rat fever bacteria. Therefore, people who pick kohila to sell in the market should take the precautionary tablets available free of charge at all MOH offices.

According to health authorities, Rat Fever is on the rise these days. Over 4,300 rat fever patients had been reported only during the past six months and there were 56 deaths during that same period. This is an alarming increase of the disease. It is proven that only the people who 'pick' Kohila are affected by the disease. This is the latest discovery of the Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry.

The main symptoms of rat fever are abrupt onset of high fever, mild flu, chills, conjunctive suffusion, muscle tenderness (notable in calf and lumber areas), intense headache, jaundice area 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 is given on time but it is difficult to save the life of a patient who seeks medical treatment after the disease to the stage where renal failure, heart failure and other symptoms appear. Therefore, seeking medical treatment from a state hospital is a must for all vulnerable persons.

In 2010, only 4,545 rat fever patients and 122 deaths were reported from all parts of the country. In 2009 it was only 4,980 rat fever patients and 145 deaths. But this year 4,315 rat fever patients and 56 deaths had been reported during the first six months of the year and this figure could be around 8,500 by the end of this year.

The number of deaths could also be higher than the previous years. This trend is something alarming.

Do not forget that many have small gardens where they often do gardening during the day time and where wild rats play and dance in the night and may be you often clean up the drainages located inside your garden but we are talking about Rat Fever. All of us know very well that prevention is better than cure. Why do people put themselves in danger when there is a clear way to prevent a disease?

Health authorities say that the majority of the affected persons belong to the working force of the country who are between the age of 35 and 55. These are the people who arfe actively involved in farming and are sole breadwinners of families. The most affected districts are Colombo, Gampaha, Matara, Matale, Kandy, Kegalle, Ratnapura, Kalutara and few other districts.

Wild rats that live in the open environment are more dangerous than the domestic rats. Vulnerable people such as farmers, people who clean drains, work in mines, marsh lands, canals and swim or play in contaminated water should contact the nearest PHI or MOH and obtain Doxycycline tablets and should take two tablets before they start their work. The tablets give around 90 percent protection for a period of one week and then they should take two tablets again until they finish their work.

The public should avoid contaminated water such as flood water. Paddy fields should be kept clean without garbage and still water.

This is the harvesting season and farmers work in paddy fields. The people who have cuts and wounds (open injuries) in their legs should cover them properly before stepping into the paddy fields.

Rat Fever is an infectious disease caused by pathogenic bacteria and lives 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 live in the environment over a period of one month.