Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann was diagnosed with infection leptospirosis on Saturday. According to a health bulletin issued by the hospital, the 50-year-old AAP leader was given antibiotics, and his vitals are “completely stable”. But what is this bacterial disease often seen during the monsoon and affects humans and animals? Read on to learn more.
What is leptospirosis?
Leptospirosis, one of the most common zoonotic diseases, is contracted if one comes into contact with water, soil or food that is contaminated with animal faeces. The bacteria enter the body via the skin and mucous membrane, reach the gut, and spread into the bloodstream, leading to an infection. It is also known as Weil’s disease, a complicated Leptospirosis form. There are two types of leptospirosis – icteric leptospira (the patient has jaundice) and anicteric leptospira (a milder form of the disease where the patient will not have jaundice).
According to Dr Vikrant Shah, consulting physician, intensivist and infectious disease specialist at Zen Multispeciality Hospital, one can get leptospirosis “when the contaminated urine of the infected rat gets mixed with the rainwater and enters the body via the skin bruises, abrasions or lesions, making you fall sick.”
What are the symptoms of leptospirosis?
The symptoms of leptospirosis are high-grade fever, conjunctival suffusion (red eyes), and calf tenderness. While in anicteric leptospira, patients have myalgia (muscle aches and pain) and fever, in the severe form of leptospirosis, one will have jaundice, kidney problems (kidney failure), or bleeding diathesis (haemorrhages).
Dr Shah added, “Sometimes, pulmonary haemorrhage is also seen, which is acute bleeding from the lung and the respiratory tract, where the patient can cough out blood. One can also go into respiratory and renal failure, which could be life-threatening too.”
Preventative measures:
To avoid getting infected with leptospirosis, one should keep a few things in mind. People should avoid wading through dirty rainwater, wear gumboots during rainy seasons, take proper care if there is any injury or cuts, and consume fruits and vegetables after washing. Stay hydrated by drinking enough water and avoid water stagnation near the house. Early diagnosis can aid in quick treatment and recovery.