Leptospirosis in Kolkata- a Retrospective Study Over Eight Years in a Medical College and Hospital (original) (raw)

Leptospirosis in India: A Veterinary Perspective

2016

Leptospirosis is an acute anthropo-zoonotic infection of worldwide significance caused by spirochaete Leptospira interrogans which has 23 serogroups and >200 serovars. Various factors influencing the animal activity, suitability of the environment for the survival of the organism and behavioral and occupational habits of human beings can be the determinants of incidence and prevalence of the disease. The disease was considered inconsequential till recently, but it is emerging as an important public health problem during the last decade or so due to sudden upsurge in the number of reported cases and outbreaks. It is a zoonotic disease that is spread primarily by rodents. It has become an important cause of acute febrile illness in children in India during the monsoon and immediate post-monsoon periods. In recent times, it has also become common to encounter cases of leptospirosis throughout the year in urban areas due to poor sanitation, water logging, overcrowding, and mushroomin...

Leptospirosis in non-endemic areas in and around Dharwad District

IP Innovative Publication Pvt. Ltd., 2017

Introduction: Leptospirosis, a zoonotic disease of pathogenic spirochete has gained public health importance in India due to several outbreaks in recent years. The disease is prevalent in Kerala, Tamilnadu, Gujarat, Andamans, Karnataka and Maharashtra. Leptospirosis outbreaks have been reported from 15 districts of Karnataka. Serological testing is the most widely used diagnostic means. IgM ELISA is promising for detection of early leptospirosis. Objectives: The present study determines the prevalence and clinical profiles of leptospirosis in and around Dharwad district. Materials and Method: This was a prospective study conducted in patients clinically suspected of leptospirosis from January 2013 to December 2015. Blood samples were tested for positive leptospirosis by IgM ELISA. Results: A total of 375 samples were tested during the study; of these, 39 samples were tested in 2013 with 16 positives, all hailing from Uttara Kannada. In 2014, 44/125 samples and in 2015, 25/211 samples tested positive for leptospirosis with majority of the patients belonging to adult age group (>12 years age). These cases belonged to non-endemic areas like Haveri, Dharwad and Gadag. Male predominance was noteworthy in 2013 and 2014 unlike in 2015. Conclusion: Cases of leptospirosis have been detected in non-endemic areas after heavy rainfall and flooding. Increased awareness among physicians regarding early diagnosis of leptospirosis and fever of unknown origin especially after water related natural calamities even in non-endemic regions is of paramount significance which may help in providing better healthcare management of leptospirosis.

Leptospirosis: A Review on Zoonosis in Indian Scenario

International Journal of Livestock Research, 2018

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic contagious bacterial disease of animals affecting both humans and animals (Slack, 2010). Leptospirosis goes by many names like 7-day fever, harvest fever, field fever, canefield fever, mild fever, rat catcher's yellows, Fort Bragg fever, pretibial fever, rice field worker disease (Mosby's Medical Dictionary, 2015) etc. It has historically been known as black jaundice and in Japan it is called Nanukayami fever. It is caused by corkscrew-shaped spirochaete bacteria of the genus Leptospira (Slack, 2010). It causes various symptoms ranging from none to mild sickness such as headaches, muscle pains, and fevers and even severe with bleeding from the lungs or even meningitis (Bride et al., 2005). In case of Weil's disease, the person becomes icteric having kidney failure and bleeding (Bride et al., 2005). Sometimes it causes a lot of bleeding into the lungs then it is known as severe pulmonary hemorrhage syndrome (Klopfleisch et al., 2011).

Review on Leptospirosis and its Public Health Significance

Leptospirosis is the most widespread and most prevalent zoonotic disease caused by Leptospira bacteria this is pathogenic Gramnegative bacteria, the disease leptospirosis a zoonotic disease of global importance. It caused by various serovars of leptospira interrogans that belong to the genus Leptospira. Besides leptospira interrogans is the most serovars like the disease occurs in nearly all mammalian species. The highest burden in low-income both found in urban and in rural environments. Rodents are known as the main reservoir animals, However, all animals are reservoir include human so leptospirosis is more common in the tropical regions rather than subtropics because of the longer survival of the organism in the environment and frequent exposure of animals and humans to contaminated environments. Direct transmission to humans by broken skin and mucous membranes exposed to the urine of infected animals. While the clinical signs of leptospirosis do not vary greatly with the species of animals include laboratory tests. Control and prevention is sanitary measures, vaccination, quarantine and rodent control are the most important control measures of the disease, require elimination of the carrier state, maintenance of environmental condition and immunization of the animal, tropical areas where warm humid conditions and alkaline or neutral soil helps leptospira survive better.

An outbreak of leptospirosis in Mumbai

Following prolonged water logging due to heavy rainfall in Mumbai during July 2000, a total of 102 patients clinically suspected of leptospirosis were admitted in our hospital. Blood samples were examined for the presence of leptospires by dark ground microscopy (DGM) and IgM antibodies were detected by ELISA. Out of 102 blood samples, 37 were positive by ELISA giving a positivity rate of 36.27%. Of these, only 24 were positive by DGM. Out of the positive cases, 37.83% had respiratory symptoms, 32.43% each had jaundice and conjunctival suffusion and 16.21% had renal involvement. Mortality amongst the positive cases was 10.81%. Apart from hepatic and renal involvement, respiratory symptoms due to leptospirosis are on the rise.

An urban outbreak of leptospirosis in Mumbai, India

Japanese journal of infectious diseases, 2002

An outbreak of leptospirosis occurred during the rainy season in the city of Mumbai, India. Out of 169 suspected cases, 74 (43.7%) were determined serologically positive by microagglutination test (MAT) carried out with a battery of eight pathogenic serovars, while 78 (46.1%) were shown positive for IgM antibodies to leptospira by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. On the basis of MAT, serovar Copenhageni accounted for 66 (89.1%) out of the 74 cases admitted during the period of the outbreak. Myalgia, conjunctival suffusion, cough with hemoptysis, icterus, and oliguria were significantly more common in patients whose samples were determined positive by MAT. The presence of pulmonary signs and symptoms and renal failure were significantly associated with mortality in patients presumed to be suffering from leptospirosis.

Leptospirosis in Wardha District, Central India—Analysis of hospital based surveillance data

Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health, 2018

Hospital-based surveillance of zoonotic diseases was carried out at a tertiary care hospital located in semi-arid zone in Central India. Here, we report descriptive epidemiology and climatic determinants of leptospirosis. All patients presenting with fever of 5 days and more were included in the study. We interviewed the subject to obtain data on socio-demographics. Blood samples were collected and IgM ELISA was carried out to diagnose leptospirosis. Microscopic agglutination test was performed at National Leptospirosis Reference Centre, Port Blair. Data on climatic conditions was obtained from Indian Meteorology Department and National Centre for Environmental Prediction. Time-series Poisson Regression analysis was carried out to study the climatic determinants. We found 12.7% of the study subjects positive for leptospirosis by IgM ELISA. Positivity was maximum (17.1%) in 41-60 years of age, more females were affected than males (14% vs 11.5%). Farm workers were affected more (17.2%) than non-farm workers performing service, business, household work etc. (10.9%). Positivity was more in monsoon as compared to other seasons. We found a single large hot cluster of leptospirosis in the middle of the district. Relative humidity in the month and rainfall in the previous month was the significant determinants of leptospirosis.

STUDIES ONTHE RESERVOIR STATUS OF LEPTOSPIROSIS IN GUJARAT

An overall seroprevalence of leptospirosis in 761 animals of Southern Gujarat screened was 14.85 per cent. The species-wise data showed the highest infection rate in donkeys (17 .65%) followed by sheep (16.00%), goats (15.38%), cattle (1 4.77%), buffaloes (14.55%), horses (14.29%), dogs (13.95%) and camets (i2.40%). This high prevalence of leptospira antibodies in different animals suggests their possible role as reservoir of infection for human being in the area facing every year outbreak of this disease.

A Case Study: Leptospirosis in Malaysia

2011

Leptospirosis is one of the common re-emerging zoonotic diseases transmitted from infected animals to humans. It is a bacterial infection caused by a species of pathogenic leptospiragenus called Spirochaetes. The very first case of human leptospirosis in Malaysia was discovered by Fletcher in the year 1925. Pathogenic leptospires can spread through the urine of carrier animals to the environment. Flu-like symptoms such as severe headache, sudden fever of 39°C and above, eyes inflammation, muscle aches, diarrhea, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, chills, rigors and maculopapular rashes can be observed. Several antibiotics that are used to treat this disease are ampicillin, ceftriazone, doxycycline and penicillin. A good prevention for the spread of leptospirosis is by practicing good sanitation and avoiding any direct contact with urine-contaminated soil and water. The recurrence of leptospirosis infection in the recent years proves to be a source for concern. Malaysian government should continue to work out measures to tackle this infection.