Leptospirosis Causes and Symptoms
Leptospirosis cases here in the Philippines continued to rise due to exposure to the urine of rats and other infected animals in floodwaters. It is a bacterial disease that affects both human and animals. Some symptoms of leptospirosis are high fever, headache, chills, muscle pain, vomiting, yellow skin and eyes, abdominal pain, diarrhea or rash. Severe cases could lead to kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure and respiratory distress.
A person becomes infected when contact with water, food, or soil containing urine from infected animals. It is usually happen by swallowing contaminated food or water or through skin contact with a broken skin. The incubation period is 2 days to 4 weeks before the appearance of the symptoms. It is usually occurs in two phases. After the first phase, the patient has fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, vomiting or diarrhea while the second phase occurs, it is more severe because the person may have kidney or liver failure or meningitis. Leptospirosis is treated with antibiotics as the early course of the disease If a person has symptoms of leptospirosis should contact a physician as soon as possible.
Leptospirosis can be prevented by wearing clothing or footwear by those exposed in contaminated soil or water because of their job or activities. Avoid swimming or wading in water that might contaminated with animal urine such as floodwater.
October 19th, 2009 | Tags: Leptospirosis symptoms | Category: Healthy Lifestyle
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