Rat fever in Kerala: With the onset of monsoon, an increasing incidence of communicable diseases like dengue, rat fever or leptospirosis and swine flu are being reported across Kerala. Meanwhile, the state government has advised people to be cautious.
On Wednesday, two people each died due to H1N1 and rat fever respectively in the state. According to local media reports, Rat fever deaths were reported in Thrissur and Palakkad districts. H1N1 deaths were reported in Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam. Reportedly, over 50,000 were affected by fever in four days.
Last month, Kerala’s Health Minister Veena George urged people to keep their houses and surroundings hygienic, which would help in controlling the spread of dengue, caused by mosquitoes, and rat fever. Moreover, the Health Department of the state has also given advisories on consulting doctors in case of a fever instead of administering self-medication.
What is Rat fever or Leptospirosis?
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Rat Fever or Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that not affects humans but also animals. In humans, it usually spreads through the urine of infected animals like dogs, rodents, and farm animals.
According to experts, it can cause a wide variety of symptoms that are often mistaken for other diseases. However, some infected people may have no symptoms at all.
Although, it rarely lasts for a week, in case of a severe form of Leptospirosis, the infected person gets well only to get sick again. A severe form of Leptospirosis can lead to erious issues, like chest pain and swollen arms and legs and it also requires hospitalisation.
According to CDC, if not treated on time, Leptospirosis can lead to kidney damage, meningitis (inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord), liver failure, respiratory distress, and even death.
What are the symptoms of Rat fever or Leptospirosis?
In humans, rat fever can lead to a wide range of symptoms like:
- High fever
- Headache
- Chills
- Muscle aches
- Vomiting
- Jaundice (yellow skin and eyes)
- Red eyes
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Rash
Some infected people, show no symptoms at all. Usually, a person’s exposure to a contaminated source and becoming sick is 2 days to 4 weeks, as per CDC. The disease may last from a few days to 3 weeks or longer.
How Rat fever or Leptospirosis is treated?
According to CDC, Leptospirosis is treated with antibiotics, such as doxycycline or penicillin. In case of severe symptoms, intravenous antibiotics may be required. People who start showing symptoms associated with Leptospirosis should immediately contact their doctors.
