Beware of leptospirosis during prevailing weather conditions

By Kamanthi Wickramasinghe
Leptospirosis, also known as rat fever is common among the farmer community and people who are exposed to unhygienic working environments. By October 2020, as many as 6716 patients were diagnosed with rat fever as per Health Ministry statistics. Medical experts opine that people should visit the nearest hospital if they experience symptoms such as prolonged fever, myalgia (body aches) or arthralgia (joint pain). 

“Many come to the hospital when they have prolonged fever and many of them have a mud contact history,” opined Dr. Theshanthi Welivitiya, Consultant Transfusion Physician, Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya. “Even people who clean drains also get infected with the illness. Some also feel dyspneic and have breathing difficulties. But when we investigate further we observe that their urine output has reduced. The oxygen saturation drops and they also may shows signs of pulmonary haemoptysis where they would spit blood when they cough. In severe cases the platelet count drops and would even lead to jaundice.” said Dr.Welivitiya. 

Due to the spike in cases, area Medical Officers of Health have been tasked with distributing a drug called Doxycycline to farmer communities. So these communities are adviced to take this drug especially during rainy seasons and also during the paddy harvesting season

The doctor said that it has become a challenge to differentiate between COVID patients and those with leptospirosis. “But we conduct Rapid Antigen Tests and PCR tests. Initially pulmonary haemoptysis accounted for around 70% of deaths and there was no hope for recovery.  But once we introduced the plasma exchange treatment the recovery rate has increased by 70%. After around three days of exchanging plasma we observe that their urine output has improved and the demand for oxygen goes down. Most patients don’t need ICU care as the plasma exchange is sufficient.” said Dr. Welivitiya.

She said that there were around four critical patients in the ICU and cases are reported from as far as Ratnapura, Embilipitiya, Neluwa and even from Kalutara and Horana as well. “Due to the spike in cases, area Medical Officers of Health have been tasked with distributing a drug called Doxycycline to farmer communities. So these communities are adviced to take this drug especially during rainy seasons and also during the paddy harvesting season.” she concluded.