Worst flooding in regions of Peru seen in 20 years causes outbreak of Leptospirosis

May 11, 2012 – PERU – Flooding has caused an outbreak of leptospirosis in Peru, especially in the Loreto region. This is the worst flooding seen in this area for over 20 years. Peru has reported more than 300 cases and 3 deaths associated with leptospirosis thus far in 2012. Health authorities have alerted people to take precautions against the infection. Though recognised among the world’s most common diseases transmitted to people from animals, leptospirosis is nonetheless a relatively rare bacterial infection in humans. The infection is commonly transmitted to humans by allowing water that has been contaminated by animal urine to come in contact with unhealed breaks in the skin, the eyes, or with the mucous membranes. Outside of tropical areas, leptospirosis cases have a relatively distinct seasonality with most of them occurring in spring and autumn. Leptospiral infection in humans causes a range of symptoms, and some infected persons may have no symptoms at all. Leptospirosis is a biphasic disease that begins with flu-like symptoms (fever, chills, myalgias, intense headache). The first phase resolves, and the patient is briefly asymptomatic until the second phase begins. This is characterized by meningitis, liver damage (causing jaundice), and renal failure. The infection is often wrongly diagnosed due to the wide range of symptoms. This leads to a lower registered number of cases than exists. Symptoms of leptospirosis include high fever, severe headache, chills, muscle aches, and vomiting, and may include jaundice, red eyes, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and rash. Initial presentation may resemble pneumonia. The symptoms in humans appear after a 4–14 day incubation period. –NR America + Wikipedia

3 Responses to Worst flooding in regions of Peru seen in 20 years causes outbreak of Leptospirosis

Mary says:

May 11, 2012 at 10:58 pm

That Pale Horse is saddled up

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Artoro says:

May 12, 2012 at 12:58 am

I only hope that since they are aware of the prevelance of this disease (Leptospirosis), under these flood conditions, they will be able to arrest it in those who contract it before it advances to the second phase, thus preventing an untimely death.

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- Bone Idle says:
  
  May 12, 2012 at 12:28 pm
  
  I know someone who has had Leptospirosis. The real problem he had with it was that was that it was so rare to see in a modern western country, doctors who were trying to diagnose his illness thought it was a funny strain of hepatitis. He actually contracted the disease in a tropical third world country. It took a couple of weeks to show up in his system – after he had traveled back to the U.K..
  Ultimately a Singapore trained doctor recognised it – after he had questioned my friend on his previous whereabouts. Very lucky – another week or so would have been not good.
  
  Warning to all you travellers.
  
  If you are traveling to a country with dicey prevalent medical conditions be careful.
  Another friend caught malaria in a tropical country. The gestation period for that type of malaria is six months – This friend had developed symptoms many moths after he returned back to his western country.
  No doctors in his town or local area had ever seen malaria. Again it was a doctor originally from a tropical country that diagnosed him.
  
  If you get sick with a mysterious malady months after visiting an exotic country make sure you make known your travels to medical people who are treating you. Especially if you have visited farms or outer urban areas.
  
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