Monsoon Alert: How To Stay Safe From Leptospirosis

What is leptospirosis? Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects people and animals. It’s spread through the urine of infected animals.

What you need to know:

Understanding Leptospirosis
Heightened risk for Leptospirosis during monsoon
Symptoms of Leptospirosis
Preventive measures for Leptospirosis

Understanding Leptospirosis

Leptospirosis spreads through water, soil or food contaminated with animal urine. It’s most common in warm climates. Some symptoms are:

High fever
Headache
Bleeding
Muscle pain
Chills
Red eyes
Vomiting
Chest pain (in severe cases)
Swollen arms and legs (in severe cases)

In most cases, leptospirosis is unpleasant but not life-threatening. It rarely lasts more than a week. However, about 10% of the time, individuals might again fall sick after getting well, which can often mean a trip to the hospital.

How people contract leptospirosis?

People can contract leptospirosis through direct contact with urine from infected animals, like dogs, rodents, and farm animals or through water, soil or food contaminated with their urine. Leptospirosis in monsoon typically occurs when flooding and heavy rains can spread the bacteria to humans.

Heightened risk for Leptospirosis during monsoon

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Leptospirosis starts increasing during the monsoon season. Here are some of its causes:

Leptospira bacteria that cause leptospirosis can easily enter the human body, particularly during the rainy season or floods when feet come into contact with stagnant water.
During the monsoon season, rodents that can be carriers of leptospira come out of their burrows into human habitats, infecting them.
Heavy rains lead to the mixing of sewage water with surface water, creating a perfect ground for leptospira to thrive.
Farmers are at a high risk of contracting leptospirosis during monsoons as they work in fields that may be contaminated with leptospira.

Symptoms of Leptospirosis

Individuals usually start showing signs of leptospirosis within 2 weeks, though in some cases, symptoms may not show up for a month or not at all. Leptospirosis symptoms are:

Early flu-like symptoms

Some people have early flu-like leptospirosis symptoms, and some have no symptoms at all. Early flu-like symptoms include:

Headache
Muscle ache
Abdominal pain
Chills
High fever
Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
Nausea and vomiting, and
Diarrhea

Muscle aches, headaches, and chills

leptospirosis_symptom_Activ Living Community

In its acute form, the following leptospirosis symptoms appear:

High fever
Red eyes
Headache
Chills
Muscle aches
Abdominal pain
Nausea and vomiting
Diarrhea
Yellow skin or eyes, and
Rash

Preventive measures for Leptospirosis

Given below are a few measures you can take to lower your risk of catching leptospirosis:

Avoiding contact with contaminated water

You must avoid contact with contaminated water sources, such as stagnant ponds, rivers, and flooded areas. If you are exposed to such areas, wear waterproof boots and gloves. Because leptospirosis can enter through other body openings, it’s also a good idea to avoid swimming, waterskiing, sailing, or fishing in freshwater areas.

Wearing protective footwear when wading

If you have to walk through stagnant water, you should wear protective footwear such as waterproof boots, protective shoes, or plastic foot covers that cover your feet and ankles to avoid the risk of contracting leptospirosis.

Practising good hygiene and sanitation

Practise good personal hygiene to keep this condition at bay, such as the following –
Wash hands with soap and water before eating or touching your face.
Shower regularly and properly.
Keep your living environment clean and free from rodent infestations. This includes –
- Proper waste management,
- Sealing gaps in walls or floors, and
- Storing food in secure containers.

The monsoon season is an exciting time of the year. However, it can pose major health risks like leptospirosis. So, you must exercise caution to protect yourself from such risks and enjoy a safe and healthy monsoon season.

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