Rat fever claims 118 in eight months

Nadira Gunatilleke

COLOMBO: Rat Fever (Leptospirosis) has claimed 118 lives in the last eight months while 3,960 patients have been reported.

This is an alarming increase in patients with rat fever in the country. Only 34 deaths were reported in 2007 due to rat fever and the number of reported cases were 2,195, Deputy Director General, Public Health Services, Dr. P.G. Maheepala said.

Addressing the press at the Epidemiology Unit, Colombo, yesterday Dr. Maheepala said 12 districts had been affected by the epidemic while 26 deaths were reported from Peradeniya, while four deaths were reported from Colombo.

The number of deaths reported from Wathupitivala is 13. Statistics have been taken from 16 State hospitals and according to the statistics the epidemic has affected Gampaha, Kegalle, Matale, Matara and several other districts. Emerging high risk areas are Anuradhapura and Ratnapura, he said.

The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry has taken steps to control the epidemic. Drugs have been sent to hospitals and all Government Health institutions. Awareness programmes have been conducted for farmer organisations and other vulnerable groups, he added.

According to the Acting Chief Epidemiologist, Dr. Paba Palihawadana, farmers, drain cleaners, persons working in mines, marsh lands, canals and persons who swim or play in contaminated water should contact the PHI or MOH and obtain Doxycychine tablets.

“Two tablets should be taken before starting work. The tablets give around 90 per cent protection for a week. Two tablets should be taken again until they finish their work.” She urged the public to drink boiled water and stressed that paddy fields should be kept clean.

Dr. Palihawadana said main symptoms of rat fever are abrupt high fever, mild flu, chills, conjunctival suffusion, muscle tenderness (notable in calf and lumber areas), intense headache, jaundiced areas and a decrease in passing urine.

“The symptoms arise after five to 14 days of infection. It is important to seek medical treatment early from a Government hospital. The disease can be completely cured if treated on time. But it is difficult to save the life of a patient who seeks medical treatment during the later stages of the fever where renal failure, heart failure and other symptoms appear.”

Rat Fever is an infectious disease caused by pathogenic bacteria that 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 the human body through cuts, wounds, nasal, oral, eye or mucous membranes. The bacteria lives in the environment over a month.