Experts from Port Blair to help Maharashtra fight leptospirosis spurt

Worried by the rising number of leptospirosis cases in the state every year, a two member team from Port Blair is visiting the state for a week to research the disease. Dr Deepa Nair and Dr V Vedagiri will be visiting the Konkan area that was badly hit by the disease this year.

Bhushan Gagrani, secretary, public health department, said, “Every year we have been facing the problem of surge in number of leptospirosis cases. We take temporary measures and control the situation every time. This time we had requested the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to help us find a long term solution.” The leptospirosis cases in Konkan were treated with antibiotics like doxycycline.

Going by state health department figures, coastal parts of the state, including Raigad, Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri, were the worst hit by the infection, registering 57 cases and 17 deaths this year.

“The research team coming from Port Blair has been involved in leptospirosis research. As the area has a recurring problem of the disease,” added Gagrani.

This year, other areas in Maharashtra are showing a higher incidence of infection and death. Earlier, the high figures were confined to Mumbai. The deluge of 26/7, 2005 saw 115 people dying of leptospirosis in Mumbai. After which, there has been a fall in the number of cases in Mumbai.

Leptospirosis can be transmitted by rats and other vermin. It is transmitted through contact with infected soil or water, which in turn is contaminated by the waste of an infected animal. People contract the disease by either ingesting contaminated food or water or by broken skin and mucous membrane (eyes, nose, sinuses, mouth) contact with the contaminated water or soil.

This is for the first time that the animal husbandry department, public health department, agriculture department and ICMR have come together to fight a disease.