Rat fever under control

by Ananda KANNANGARA

The spreading of leptospirosis, commonly known as rat fever has been controlled due to timely action and other precautionary measures taken by the Health Department, Epidemiology Unit, Director Paba Palihawadana said.

Quoting Health Department statistics, Dr. Palihawadana said nearly 5,300 leptospirosis patients were reported from various parts of the country last year, but only 3370 cases were reported during the first nine months of this year.

"This was due to several health awareness programs, conducted by the Ministry especially for schoolchildren," she said.

She said all hospitals, including State owned healthcare centres, especially in rural hospitals have now been provided with adequate injections and other medicines to treat patients who are brought daily.

She said nearly 200 Sri Lankans have died due to rat fever in the recent past and warned the general public especially the farmer community to seek medical treatment from government hospitals.

Rat fever is an infectious disease caused by pathogenic bacteria found in the kidney of rats, pigs, cattle, and wild mammals.

The Health Ministry statistics also reveal that majority of the patients are largely reported from Anuradhapura, Colombo, Matara, Ratnapura, Gampaha, Kegalle, Kalutara, Hambantota, Matale and Galle.

Meanwhile, a senior doctor attached to the Kalubowila Teaching Hospital said the main symptoms of the disease are high fever, flu, chills, muscle tenderness, headache, jaundice, and low passing of urine.

He also advised people, especially farmers who work in paddy fields, marshy lands and canals to contact the PHI or MOH in the respective districts and obtain medicine.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry has launched a program to deploy medical personnel for respective areas and educate the farmer community about the disease.