Leptospirosis is a rare bacterial disease that is mainly caused by water contaminated by animal urine. it is also known as swineherd’s disease, swamp fever o mud fever. it affects both humans and animals and is characterized by illness that leads to renal and hepatic dysfunction.
Diagnosed as early as 1883, it is termed as an occupational disease affecting almost 30-50% of sewer workers, veterinarians, farmers, plumbers, agricultural field workers, slaughterhouse workers, coal miners, and milk men, men in fishery industries, military personnel and even pet shop owners.
With contaminated water as the main source of spreading agent, it enters into the body of the victim when the exposed abraded skin or mucus membrane comes into contact with such water.
It is then when the disease casing bacteria enters the body. its causes has also been associated with recreational activities such as touring in tropical regions, canoeing, hiking, fishing, wind surfing, kayaking, swimming, riding, water skating, wading, white-water rafting.
To brief, any such activity which is involved with water, where there are fair chances to come into contact with contaminated water. Infected pet animals, rodents, domestic livestock, rain water catchment systems are other common causes of occurrence.
It has been to occur mostly in warmer regions or summers when heavy rains occur, associated with floods. During this time Leptospirisos spreads like epidemic mostly in the rural areas. Urban dwellers are also not spared from this disease during such climatic upheavals due to presence of rat urine and litter in the inner parts of the cities, which are the major carrier.
The symptoms of this disease, which take 2-26 days to become noticeable, mainly include dry coughs with headache, high fever, muscle pain, shaking chills often with fever, nausea, vomiting and also diarrhea. other symptoms include abdominal pain, abnormal sounds from lungs, pain in bones, enlarged lymph glands, joint aches, conjunctivitis, enlarged spleen or liver, skin rash, sore throat etc.
If someone is detected with some of the above symptoms the victim should be immediately taken under medical supervision. Important medical tests that include complete blood test or CBC, liver enzyme test, creatine kinase, and thorough urine analysis.
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