With three suspected cases of Leptospirosis reported in Dominica following the passage of Tropical Storm Erika a call has been issued to members of the public to take precautionary measures to safeguard lives.
Public Relations Officer of the Dominica Solid Waste Management Corporation (DSWMC), Jenno Jacob, said in an interview with Dominica News Online (DNO) that there are several measures that can be used to prevent exposure to the disease.
He said tins and cans with food should be washed with soap and water before opening and then crushed. Those for recycling should be stored in a safe place.
Jacob added that all must be done to ensure that rodents, mosquitos and flies are not harbored in homes.
Additionally, he said, waste must be managed properly.
“So we are asking people to manage their waste properly, to ensure that they store their waste in a safe place and don’t just store your waste in another area, so if the rivers over flow their banks, that it will not be washed away by water,” he stated. “But store it in an area it would be away from water.”
Earlier this month health authorities reported three suspected cases of Leptospirosis in the Roseau Health district.
Leptospirosis is a serious preventable bacterial disease most often transmitted to humans who are exposed to the infected urine of rats, dogs and other mammals.
Symptoms of the disease include rash, fever, chills, sudden headaches, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, muscle pain particularly in the muscles in the calves and lower back.
The following measures can also be taken to prevent exposure to the disease:
• Avoid contact with surfaces and water sources that may be contaminated with rat urine
• Keep your home and its surroundings clean and free of garbage
• Avoid leaving food where rats or rodents could get to it
• Deny access to rats by erecting rodent-proof fences and screens and ensure possible household entry places are blocked off
• Farmers should ensure that animal feeds are stored in rat-proof containers
• If you work in a job where you may come into contact with a contaminated surface or water source, ensure you wear protective clothing, shoes, and gloves and to report to a health facility if they suspect they have any of the above symptoms.
bacteria protect our bodies so if there is a bacteria it is caused by something else
•” Avoid contact with surfaces and water sources that may be contaminated with rat urine
• Keep your home and its surroundings clean and free of garbage
• Avoid leaving food where rats or rodents could get to it
• Deny access to rats by erecting rodent-proof fences and screens and ensure possible household entry places are blocked off
• Farmers should ensure that animal feeds are stored in rat-proof containers
• If you work in a job where you may come into contact with a contaminated surface or water source, ensure you wear protective clothing, shoes, and gloves and to report to a health facility if they suspect they have any of the above symptoms.”
All of that in the above is not even possible, considering the shacks somme people inhabit in Dominica!
Leptospirosis is any of a group of infectious diseases due to certain serotypes of Leptospira; the best known is Weil’s disease, or leptospiral jaundice; others are mud fever, autumn fever, and swineherd’s disease.
The etiologic agent is a spiral organism that infects the kidneys of cattle, swine, dogs, cats, rats and other animals. The organisms are spread through the animals’ urine; the portal of entry is usually through abrasions: the disease is most common among people who handle infected animals or the kidneys and other infected tissues of such animals. I know the author has touched on some symptoms.
Nevertheless; symptoms of Leptospirosis is usually a brief illness which produces a variety of symptoms. It begins with fever, acute headache, chills, and sometimes nausea, and vomiting; later other symptoms may be caused by the effects of the disease upon the kidneys, and liver, skin, blood, and other organs. These symptoms can include jaundice, skin rashes, hemorrhages…
These symptoms can include jaundice, skin rashes, hemorrhages of the skin, and mucous membranes, inflammation of the eye, hematuria, and oliguria.
Diagnosis is very often difficult because these symptoms resemble those of several other diseases. Jaundice is a key symptom that, when present, aids in diagnosis. Most cases are mild, consisting only of the early symptoms and having a duration of one to two weeks; in a few cases, a severe infection may cause damage to the kidneys, liver, or the heart; very rarely is the disease fatal.
The choice of treatment, and prevention is doxycycline; sanitation measures can reduce the spread of the disease in both humans, and animals; though vaccines for animals are available, however provided only partial immunity to the disease. Personally I do not know at this present time if there are vaccines of established value for humans!
Dominica do have a serious problem with garbage any way. Skerrit should spend tax money on new garbage trucks, recycling factories, why not support each household with a garbage can????
Inform / teach the Dominicans over TV and radio to collect the garbage properly.
Why it is possible in other countries and here is everything a cramp!
Provide free rat poison to the public. Examinine all drains on island, blocked and unblocked.
Come and pick up the rubbish on the days set by your company, solid waste
Too many rodents running around… This is a serious concern and the poor solid and liquid waste practices of some of our residents puts many citizens at risk. When ever, I visit the clinic, I always make it my duty to pick up copies of they brochure on measures to prevent the spread of this disease and distribute them to friends, hoping they will read and recognize the importance of the information contained in these brochures and take mitigating actions to prevent the spread of the disease…
Some people like stew Agouti… you must be aware that Agouties like Rats are RODENTS and are carriers of LEPTOSPIROSIS… so folks as we prepare for the Independence season and we all try to enjoy our various local delicacies please be extra careful in preparing AGOUTI meat for eating…Just a word of caution to all
how can Government warn us about rat born disease when the government is failing miserably in collecting garbage properly and on time? Rats are having a field day here – their breeding place is so much easier now that they have food in abundnace. Ministry of Health has to be more practical than that
Public Relation Officer: Jenno Jacob this is’ Closing The Door To The Barn after the Horses got out’!However, going forward, every effort should be made to Mitigate this outbreak. Widespread Spraying for Mosquitoes. Given the circumstances, it is Incumbent upon your department to speed up the removal of the garbage that has piled up following the Disasters. You can’t leave it up to the people. This requires heavy Equipment which the average person have no access to. So get your act together and start doing what you were appointed for. This situation needs immediate attention before it gets completely out of Control!