PHUKET : The Department of Disease Control (DDC) has issued a warning regarding the potentially deadly leptospirosis, which can be contracted through physical contact with contaminated water, such as walking in a flooded area or working in a garden after rainfall.
The warning was issued by the Bureau of Prevention and Control of Diseases in Region 11 and shared by the national news agency NNT.
The warning states that seven people have already died from leptospirosis between January 1 and September 23 this year in the Ministry of Health’s Region 11 area, which includes Phuket, Phang Nga, and Krabi.
While maintaining its warning against monkeypox, the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office has not yet issued a warning against leptospirosis.
According to Dr. Kraisorn Tothapthieng, head of the Bureau of Prevention and Control of Diseases in Region 11, 583 leptospirosis patients have been admitted to hospitals in Region 11. The provinces with the highest number of cases are Ranong, Nakhon Sri Thammarat, Phang Nga, Surat Thani, Chumphon, Phuket, and Krabi.
Dr. Kraisorn did not provide the number of cases or deaths per province. He only indicated that 465 patients were male and 118 were female. The most affected age groups are 35-44 years old, followed by 25-34 years old.
Leptospirosis is a bloodstream infection caused by the Leptospira bacterium and can infect humans, rats, dogs, and other mammals. Rats are the most common carriers of the bacteria.
The bacteria is transmitted to humans through animal urine, or more commonly, through water or moist soil contaminated by animal urine. Leptospira can be found in ponds, canals, puddles, sewers, agricultural lands, and wet soil.
The bacteria can infect a host through ingestion of contaminated food, but more frequently it enters the body through cuts or skin wounds, or through contact with mucous membranes (mouth, nose, eyes).
This is why walking in flooded areas without rubber boots or other protective measures can be very dangerous. The same applies to working with soil without gloves.
“Approximately one to two weeks after infection, the patient starts developing fever, headache, and body and muscle pain. Then they may have red eyes, jaundice, yellow eyes, low urine output, coughing up blood, and eventually die,” said Dr. Kraisorn.
Anyone suspecting a leptospirosis infection should urgently contact a specialist, stressed Dr. Kraisorn. Late treatment or self-medication can lead to a life-threatening progression and death.
To protect yourself from leptospirosis, you can:
Avoid walking in water or mud for a long period. If such action is necessary, wear rubber boots or cover your feet with plastic bags. Wash your hands and feet frequently with soap and water. Take a shower to wash your body immediately after work or crossing in water.
Eat only freshly cooked food. Keep food in sealed containers. Avoid eating food left overnight in a closed container.
Keep your house and surroundings clean and control rats.
In case of fever, immediately consult a doctor to prevent infection development.
For more information, contact the Disease Control Department’s call center at 1422.
It should be noted that in 2004, Soi Dog Foundation co-founder Gill Dalley lost both legs due to a severe bacterial infection. Although it was not revealed which bacterium caused this, Ms. Dalley was infected while trying to save a dog in a flooded field.
Original article: The Phuket News
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#Attention #aux #infections #potentiellement #mortelles #pendant #les #inondations
2023-10-08 13:19:09
