Dengue drops; rat fever on the rise

Team Udayavani, Sep 5, 2019, 8:30 AM IST

Mangaluru: Around 17 cases of rat fever have been reported in the city for the month of July. The public must take precautionary measures regarding this, informed the district health surveyor Dr| Praveen Kumar speaking at a press meet.

Dengue has been brought into some control in the district. Amidst this, rat fever (Leptospirosis) has started to emerge. There is also Malaria. Since the rat fever is spreading wide, caution is required. The fever is caused by Leptospira bacteria which is found in the urine of the rodent. Coming in contact with it causes the disease in humans, he explained.

Through proper treatment the disease can be completely cured. Although diseases related to the heart, lungs and the kidneys is rare, their treatments should not be delayed. Since this disease does not spread from the infected person to a health person, there is no need to quarantine the patient.

No need to fear H1N1

H1N1 too is affecting people presently, but there is no need to be scared of it. Caution is required, informed the surveyor.

957 confirmed dengue cases

Since the last 5 days, the number of patients being treated for dengue has decreased. Altogether, 957 confirmed cases of dengue have been reported since Jan to Aug this year. During the same period 1,341 cases of malaria have been reported, informed Dr| Naveen Chandra Kulal, THO

More cases within corporation limits

Of the reported dengue cases, 60% of them are from within corporation limits while 90% of the reported malaria cases are also from within the MCC limits. During inspection, larvae of Aedes aegypti mosquito which is responsible for the transferring of the disease have been found in refrigerator trays, flower pot, roof, and veranda as well as in the brackets of the windows. The people should take care of this by themselves.

Malaria is spread by the mosquitoes which thrive in stagnant clean water found outside houses. The larvae have been found is several open wells within corporation limits and this can be prevented by releasing Guppy fish, he informed.

Let there be awareness regarding rat fever

The germs causing the disease reside in rats, bandicoots, cats, dogs, cows and other domesticated animals in the vicinity of the house as well as in some wild animals too. The urine of such affected animals mixes with the water and spreads through the water. When such polluted water comes in contact with a human, the germs enter the person’s body through any small wound that might be there on the body. Besides, the germs can gain access through the mouth, nose and the inner part of the eyes as well. Once the germs enter the body, it will take 4 to 19 days for the disease symptoms to develop.