What is Leptospirosis ?

One of the diseases that lurk victims of the earthquake is leptospirosis. This disease is one of infectious diseases originating from animals and infect humans and includes the most common zoonotic diseases in the world.

Leptospirosis is caused by spiral-shaped pathogenic bacteria of the genus Leptospira, family leptospiraceae and sprirochaetales orders. The death rate due to leptospirosis is high, reaching 5-40 percent.

Mild infection is estimated at 90 percent of cases. Children under five, the elderly and patients who have low immune system has a high mortality risk. At the age above 50 years, the risk of death could reach 56 percent. Jaundice in patients who have experienced liver damage, a higher risk of death.

Transmission of this disease could be through mice, pigs, cows, goats, horses, dogs, insects, birds, hedgehogs, bats and squirrels. This desease can strike all ages, the majority aged 10-39 years, then maybe age is a risk factor.

In Indonesia, the most common transmission is through the mouse. rat urine careied by floods and then enter the human body through wounded skin, eyes and mucous membranes of the nose. It could also be through food or water contaminated with urine of infected rats Leptospira.

Some other animals such as cows, goats, sheep, horses, pigs, dogs, can be caught leptospirosis, but the potential to infect human is not for rats. leptospirosis is not transmitted directly from patient to patient.

Leptospirosis incubation period from 2 to 26 days. Once in the bloodstream, these bacteria can spread throughout the body and cause problems, especially liver and kidney. in the kidney, the bacteria can cause inflammation of the kidneys and tissue death to kidney failure. Liver disorders may also occur that can cause jaundice ( yellow skin ). If the muscle then Leptospira can cause swelling, tissue damage to the disruption of capillary permeability of blood vessels, whereas pulmonary disorders that often happens is coughing blood.

Leptospirosis infection has a very varied symptoms sometimes even almost no symptoms, so frequent errors in diagnosis. Nearly 15-40 percent of infected patients are not symptomatic but positive laboratory tests.

How to avoid or reduce the risk of leptospirosis is to avoid or reduce cantact with the animals exposed to approximately the water or cataminated land. Wear gloves, gowns and goggles. Consider environmental hygiene and rodents such as mice must be observed.

Complications depend on the course of the disease and its treatment. Estimated condition of the patient in the future depending on the light or the severity of infection.