The Ministry of Health in Dominica wishes to inform the public that there is an increase prevalence of Leptospirosis in Dominica, a serious preventable bacterial disease most often transmitted to humans by exposure to infected rat urine. The disease has increased significantly over the last few years and will necessitate drastic measures to avert the spread. The number of recorded confirmed cases was 12 in 2010 in comparison to 6 cases in 2006.
A survey conducted recently also revealed an average of almost three rats per person.
While most of the cases recovered, one death this year is need for concern. Human leptospirosis includes an onset of fever, chills, eye redness, and headache, muscle soreness that resolves spontaneously or after treatment with antibiotics. But up to 10 percent of infected persons may develop a serious systemic form of the illness, Weil’s disease, which can result in high fever, jaundice, aseptic meningitis, acute kidney failure, internal bleeding and, occasionally, death.
Leptospirosis is difficult to diagnosis because of the varied presentation and can be easily confused with other diseases such as dengue fever. A laboratory test is needed to confirm a suspected case. The Ministry of health urges clinicians to consider the diagnosis of leptospirosis in patients who complain of flu-like symptoms especially during the warm months outside the flu season and could have been exposed to the urine of rats or to pools of infected water, which can be present in alleys and parks and ravines. Although a variety of mammals worldwide harbor the infection, in Dominica the most common carriers are rats, dogs and livestock. Humans do not transmit the infection to others.
People traditionally at highest risk for leptospirosis have been those engaged in certain occupations such as farmers, veterinarians, sanitation and sewer workers, and those involved in food preparation may be exposed to rat-contaminated surroundings when hygienic measures are unsatisfactory or recreational activities (campers, freshwater swimmers) .
A campaign to manage rodents in Dominica is now in its second phase. Environmental Health officials are starting off the programme as a pilot project in the Roseau Health District. The Ministry of Health is also in the process of finalizing an action plan to respond effectively to the situation and urges the public to take the following measures.
• 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
Ministry of Health will continue to maintain our vigilance to ensure that measures are in place to deal with the situation as necessary and encourage persons to be very vigilant in preventing the increase of leptospirosis on the island.
people have been filthier in a time when everyone is in a hurry to be lazy. young men and women are the main culprits. dressing fancy, looking sharp but leaving behind and sometimes infront filth. people must clean their environments so the rats stay away. soon it will be an invasion of roaches. look out.
;-)
coool rats finally get to the other side of the food chain i always knew they wer extremely powerful …..even their urine consumes us
hahaha funny i love good humour made my day
Too many empty lots around roseau & environs are left in deplorable state by their owners. It’s high time that the relavant councils take these people to task. clean up your property. only in d/a that we allow certain people to get away with such nonsense. Time to step up the measures.
Yeh! And remember to clean yours, too.
u are so right.
Well what do you expect to happen when people think it’s o.k. to dispose of gabbage including left over food all over the place? Rats thrive where they have an abundance of food, and environmental conditions permit them to breed freely,
Food handling establishments, including mobile units should be sanitized as a start. Gabbage collection must improve and our people must start to take pride in themselves and their country. Cleanliness is next to godliness. Let’s examine ourselves and put them right or else this will just be the begining of things to come. We’re harvesting what we’ve sown. Beware, whatsoever we do today will affect us in some way tomorrow.
Keep Dominica clean by cleaning you homes and the immediate vicinity. I do clean my gutter and also the area around my home. It is very disheartening to see people litter all about the place even after the sanitary workers pick up the garbage.
On the Bayfront people, let us keep there clean when we sit to enjoy the scenery. If youcary your food to the bayfornt rather than seating at KFC and the other eatery, then carry your garbage and dispose properly. You chose not to eat at the place then if you don’t then you shoudl cary your garbage back there or take home – you can add your own home garbage and dispose on the day when kerbside collection is being done.
Keep the food away from the Rats.
Another note the garbage you throw in the gutters wil definitely block the gutters and what wil happen if we ge train like —- Australia… Check this out… another reason not to litter. Let each dispose our trash in a proper manner.
Who puts the garbage after the trucks have gone or the sanitary workers clean.. some of the citizens. Then they are the one first to say the mayor or someone must clean up for them and the place is dirty. Keep Dominica clean.
hello i am honorable rat i am very important. human should be proud of me when you all dispose gabbage all about i make you all understand that you all should responsible, remember dogs and cats are not different, we a the same. i am just minding my dam business.
Oh mi whats that 2 beautiful soldiers with pink lips just there gazeing at me ,looks like i am holding something of theirs.
funny!!!
this disease ts serious . if we hav alot of chinese resturants and supermarkets on the island it will always happen.in st. marten they are alway closing chinese restrants and supermarket for food safety violations including rat infestation. there should be more bins in the roseau area,more attention should given to keeping ther alittle cleaner.also the smell, there should be an island wide education programe about this disease. there should also be litter warden[litter police]in place especially in the roseau area.i think now is the time for the many talk show host to rally the people together for acommon and impotant cause -HEALTH.
THE MAYOR MUST DO HIS JOB BY SEEING TO IT THAT THE GARBAGE COLLECTORS PICK UP AND DISTRIBUTE THE RUBBISH DAILY AND IN THE RIGHT MANNER. TOO OFTEN GARBAGE REMAINS ON THE STREET FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
u are so right mr.mrs raaat i hate u all i dont like seeing your faces,i am going to get 4 cats witch is better looking than u all byeee.
good for them, but u know something stew rats are very good for the body ,it strengthen the body try it & in 2 more weeks u will tell me the resolt,hahahaaa dushi means nice.
keep dominica clean by starting to clean your homes
KEEP DOMINICA CLEAN BY CLEANING UP THE HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT