Kerala had reported 520 cases and 28 deaths between January and July this year.
After the floods in Kerala, there is a spurt in the number of cases of leptospirosis, also known as ‘rat fever', in the flood-affected districts.
The Directorate of Health Services has issued a leptospirosis alert after a dozen suspected deaths and over 150 cases reported in the flood-hit districts in the last few days due to the disease. Kerala had reported 520 cases and 28 deaths between January and July this year.
After the surfacing of leptospirosis cases in the flood-hit districts of Palakkad, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Kannur, the public health department sounded an alert on August 28 to the doctors.
“There is a sudden increase of Leptospirosis from Thrissur, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Kannur districts. All of them had indirect contact with flood water. You may take this situation very seriously and alert the entire clinical team of your district. Any fever with myalgia to be taken as Leptospirosis and to be treated accordingly until further orders,” the alert said.
A senior official of the health services said that since the state is probe to leptospirosis, an infection caused by rodents, there was a good possibility of more incidence post-flood. In most of the cases, the official said that the affected persons had visited the flood-affected places and had not taken doxycycline for preventing leptospiral infection and leptospirosis.
On Wednesday, a volunteer engaged in the rescue operation and CPI (M) activist SV Shibu, 47, of Nedumudy in Alappuzha district died due to the disease. He was diagnosed with leptospirosis due to the infection through a wound in his limb. He involved himself in the rescue work ignoring precautionary measures.
In 2017 alone, there were 1408 confirmed cases of leptospirosis reported in the state of Kerala, of which there were 80 deaths reported. In 2016, there were 1710 cases confirmed of which 35 succumbed to the infection.
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