Twitter
Advertisement

Mumbai: Years' first leptospirosis death recorded in city

A 35-year-old woman from Kandivli who succumbed to the infection.

Latest News
article-main
Representational Image
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

The first leptospirosis death in the city this year was recorded on Friday after a 35-year-old woman from Kandivli succumbed to the infection. In the past two days, the city has reported 27 leptospirosis cases. Doctors say that with the rains slowing down, they are expecting a surge in leptospirosis cases in the city and have warned Mumbaikars of the same.

"The woman was admitted at our Babasaheb Ambedkar hospital in Kandivli on July 13 with high-grade fever and breathlessness. She had these complaints three to four days prior to her admission. She was diagnosed with leptospirosis and died on July 15 due to a sudden cardio respiratory arrest with acute respiratory distress syndrome, which is associated with leptospirosis," said Dr Mini Khetrapal, epidemiology in-charge at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Khetrapal added that the woman had a history of wading through water prior to contracting the infection.

"The local ward office, R/South, has been told to conduct a house-to-house survey. The area has tabelas and is one of the high-risk areas for leptospirosis in the city," Khetrapal said.

"We have also instructed the local ward officer to treat cases of fever with chloroquine and doxycylin (contraindicated in children and pregnant women)," Khetrapal added. She also said that local health officers and doctors have been instructed to give prophylactic doxycycline to all those who have high-grade fever and walk through water.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection caused by a strain of leptospira. The infection is commonly transmitted from animals to humans when people with wounds or ruptures in their skin come into contact with water or soil that has been contaminated with animal urine.

The maximum number of leptospirosis cases have been reported from Andheri East, Santacruz, Kandivli and Chembur. Dr Om Shrivastav, an infectious disease expert, said that people should avoid exposure to stagnant water, especially that which is closer to cattle sheds.

Before the beginning of the monsoon, the BMC's health department staff had started visiting the 239 cattle sheds in Mumbai and educating them on administering vaccines and medicines to their cattle on time. The BMC has also made it compulsory for dog owners to give their pets leptospirosis vaccination before renewing the pet licence. The civic body has also asked the animal husbandry department to carry out vaccination drives on animals.
 

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement