Health
How to avoid getting leptospirosis
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In a reminder from the Health Department, Manila East Medical Center’s Dr. Claro Cayanan said people must avoid flood waters entirely to avert the possibility of being contaminated with mouse urine. (PNA photo)MANILA — With the leptospirosis outbreak announced recently by the Department of Health, the government has issued some pointers to avoid acquiring the disease.
In a reminder from the Health Department, Manila East Medical Center’s Dr. Claro Cayanan said people must avoid flood waters entirely to avert the possibility of being contaminated with mouse urine.
If the flood water cannot be avoided, however, Cayanan advises the public to use boots for protection from contamination.
The internal medicine specialist further said the public could also control the population of mice through traps or poison.
He also suggested maintaining the cleanliness of the environment by declogging canals to avoid floods during the rainy season.
The doctor added those with fever, due to leptospirosis, should consult a doctor for a medicine to fight off the disease.
The disease, which is deadly if not addressed, comes from a bacteria called Leptospira.
The symptoms of leptospirosis include high fever, chills, headaches, joint and muscle aches, reddish eyes, yellowish skin, difficulty in urinating, and tea-colored urine.
It could also lead to liver and kidney failure, myocarditis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, and meningitis.
