ALAPPUZHA: Leptospirosis or rat fever is posing a threat in the district, but the health authorities are not prepared to combat it. Waterlogged places are vulnerable to the deadly bacterial disease transmitted mostly through rodents. People and their pets visit natural water bodies for recreation during the summer. Labourers desilting canals or engaged in paddy field preparation were the worst hit. Doctors say waterborne diseases have become common throughout the year in Kuttanad.
In March alone, the Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP) reported 13 new cases, two of them confirmed. Many are treated at the Medical College Hospital, though taluk hospitals too have facilities to cure leptospirosis. Its records show more than 70 per cent cases were from Champakulam, Nedumudy, Monkombu, Kainakary and Pallathruthy in Kuttanad. On June 16, a retired government servant, K.P. Sugathan, died of suspected leptospirosis. “This can easily be prevented with antibiotics. But patients should keep their surroundings clean," said Dr B. Padmakumar, who got a PhD for his leptospirosis studies.
"The main reason is contamination of water in rivers and canals. Workers should ensure that they had no gash in their body through which the bacteria can enter." The district medical officer was unavailable to comment on precautions. They used to provide tablets to workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and others earlier. They advise people to avoid fishing in small ponds and lagoons because there's a possibility of high-density rat urine. People have to observe at least one dry day a week making sure that there were no avenues for rats and dogs to breed. The district had witnessed 14 rat-fever deaths in 2008.
