Warning “Office Rats” are also at risk of Leptospirosis, not just wading through water. Food, drinking water, and breathing… can also lead to infection
Most people understand that “Leptospirosis” or Leptospira infection is found only in rice fields or flooded areas. But in reality, “rats” living in buildings, homes, and offices are also carriers of the disease.
Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by a small bacterium invisible to the naked eye called Leptospira, which resides in the kidneys and bladder of carrier animals such as rats, cattle, buffalo, pigs, dogs, goats, and sheep. Rats are the main vectors because the bacteria are excreted in rat urine and contaminate the environment, water, or damp areas. The bacteria can enter the body through wounds, abrasions, or skin soaked in water for a long time, as well as by inhaling water droplets containing the bacteria. It can also be transmitted by consuming food or drinking water contaminated with the bacteria.
Important Symptoms of Leptospirosis
The clinical symptoms of the disease are divided into two major groups:
- Group without jaundice or yellow eyes
This group has mild symptoms. After infection, symptoms appear within 10-26 days, averaging 10 days. Patients will experience sudden headache, high fever of 38-40°C, red conjunctiva, severe muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, especially muscle pain in the calves, thighs, and back muscles, with tenderness on muscle palpation. Physical examination during this phase often reveals red eyes with discharge or tearing, sore throat, petechiae on the skin, and sometimes rash. Blood tests during this phase show increased antibodies against the bacteria. Patients may have recurring fever, headache, stiff neck, meningitis, and bacteria present in the urine. - Group with jaundice or severe symptoms
This group experiences persistent fever that worsens, jaundice, and kidney failure. There may be rashes on the palate, petechiae on the skin, liver and kidney failure, jaundice, meningitis, muscle inflammation, and possibly coughing up blood. Jaundice usually appears on the 4th day of illness. Patients may die during this phase or in the early third week due to kidney failure. Treatment requires accurate and rapid diagnosis and appropriate care. Deaths occur due to severe complications such as severe hemoptysis, respiratory failure, or kidney failure.
Control and Elimination of Disease Reservoirs
- Wash hands thoroughly after handling meat, animal carcasses, and all animals.
- Avoid walking barefoot in wet or flooded areas; wear boots for protection.
- After tasks involving contact with water or damp areas, promptly bathe or wash hands and feet thoroughly.
- Eliminate rats, which are disease carriers.
- Improve sanitation of living areas and the environment to keep them clean.
- Cover trash bins and regularly dispose of garbage, especially food scraps, to prevent providing food sources for rats.
- Animal pens should have cement floors with smooth surfaces, kept dry at all times to prevent water or animal urine accumulation.
- If pets are sick, promptly notify a veterinarian for treatment.
If you are ill or have suspicious symptoms, see a doctor immediately to receive timely diagnosis and treatment to ensure your safety from the disease.
