India: Kerala state wrestling with a severe leptospirosis outbreak
Also Hepatitis A and dengue
Kerala state, in southwestern India, has already battled with Nipah virus and seven cases of the brain-eating amoeba this year and now officials are wrestling with a severe outbreak of leptospirosis, including an unprecedented number of deaths this year.
This year's tally of 1916 affected individuals and 1565 suspected cases is the highest ever recorded. The confirmed death toll stands at 121, with 102 more suspected deaths.
A comparison with previous years reveals a significant increase, with 831 cases and 39 deaths last year [2023], and 2482 cases and 121 deaths in 2022.
Experts believe that the increasing number of cases can be attributed to insufficient grassroots prevention efforts and surveillance.
In addition, health experts have raised concerns about the inadequacy of pre-monsoon cleaning efforts and the limited reach of doxycycline to those most in need.
According to the US CDC, Leptospirosis is a disease caused by bacteria. Infected animals spread the bacteria through their urine (pee). When infected animals pee, the bacteria get into the water or soil and can live there for weeks to months.
You can be infected if you touch fresh water, soil, or other objects contaminated with infected animal urine. The most common ways to get infected is urine or contaminated water getting in your eyes, nose, mouth, or broken skin (such as a cut or scratch). You can also get infected by eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water.
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Some people with leptospirosis do not have any symptoms. When symptoms occur, they can include fever, headache, chills, muscle aches, vomiting, jaundice (yellow eyes and skin), red eyes, stomach pain, diarrhea, and sometimes a rash. Without proper treatment with antibiotics, people with leptospirosis may develop serious problems with their kidneys, liver, or lining of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis). In some cases, leptospirosis can cause death.
In addition to leptospirosis, other vector-borne diseases like dengue (13,948 confirmed and 37,735 probable cases reported this year) and water-borne diseases, such as hepatitis A and cholera, continue to afflict Kerala during the final phase of the South West Monsoon. Hepatitis A outbreaks have been reported in several districts, with Malappuram, Kozhikode and Ernakulam among the worst affected. This year has been particularly severe, with 4,306 confirmed cases and 41 confirmed deaths from hepatitis A as of August 21, 2024.
The state’s battle against these diseases highlights the urgent need for improved public health strategies, particularly in ensuring the provision of safe drinking water. The Kerala Water Authority and local self-governments have been criticized for their failure to adequately address water quality issues, which remain a key factor in recurring outbreaks.