KRISHNAGIRI: A total of 144 leptospirosis cases have been reported from Krishnagiri district in the last eight months, which is the highest in the past nine years. Sources from the health department told TNIE, “144 leptospirosis cases have been reported from Krishnagiri this year starting from January. However, last year only 32 cases were reported and in 2021, 33 cases were reported. Out of the 144 cases, Shoolagiri recorded 22 cases, Veppanahalli-19, Krishnagiri-19, Hosur City Municipal Corporation-15, and Bargur recorded 15 cases.”
When TNIE contacted Krishnagiri District Health Officer G Ramesh Kumar, he said, “Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by a bacteria called Leptospira, which spreads through the urine of infected animals. A person can get infected through contaminated water or soil in which animal urine is mixed. The symptoms seen in an affected person are high fever, headache, abdominal pain, vomiting, etc.”
He added, “This sickness is mostly spread to humans from cattle farms and through rodent urine. Hence, people should not walk barefoot during monsoon, drink boiled water, and chlorinate their water tanks and cattle farms. If people are infected with fever, more than five tests are conducted. If people fail to take treatment for leptospirosis, it can lead to jaundice and that could affect the kidney and liver.”
Shoolagiri Block Medical Officer N M Vennila said, “A few villages from Shoolagiri block that reported leptospirosis are Kottayur, Shoolagiri, Kamandoddi, and others. Sometimes people can get infected when their broken skin comes in contact with contaminated water. Also, if people find blood in their urine, they should immediately visit health care centres. A drug called doxycycline is also given to the infected people.” Shoolagiri Block Development Officer (scheme) K Murugan told TNIE that they were unaware of the infection. However, the health department has conducted a training programme for the panchayat secretaries about the usage of chlorination in water tanks and the prevention of infection.
S Elangovan, regional joint director of the Animal Husbandry department said that they have not received any information about infected cattle. However, if they find any cattle with symptoms, samples will be sent to a laboratory to diagnose it.