Leptospirosis

Ever since Pandora opened her mythical box, mankind has been exposed to the threats of numerous pathogens, Leptospirosis is one such disease caused by the bacteria Leptospira interrogans. The first of its kind in India was reported in the 1920s from Andaman and Nicobar Islands. After this report no case was reported until 1988. However, during 1988-1997 there were 527 cases of Leptospirosis out of which 104 were fatal The incidence of the disease is increasing in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra though no part of the country is free from this disease. There were four outbreaks of the disease during 1997 in Mysore, Surat, North Andaman and Nagpur, causing 39 deaths. In Tamil Nadu, during the monsoon, leptospirosis was found as the cause of 38 per cent of cases of Fever of Unknown Origin (FUO), 47 per cent of cases of acute renal failure and 64 per cent of jaundice. As there is no proper system of notification (to public health authorities), leptospirosis is grossly under-reported.Therefore, it appears to be a hidden and emerging public health problem.