Guyana floods claim first victim from leptospirosis
|
| Published on Wednesday, December 31, 2008 |
Email To Friend Print Version |
GEORGETOWN, Guyana: An autopsy has confirmed that a woman who was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) died as a result of an infection with the water-borne disease leptospirosis, pushing the number of deaths from this disease to six for 2008.
The woman died on Sunday morning in the Intensive Care Unit of the GPHC after being referred there by physicians from a private institution, who reportedly said they were incapable of dealing with the case.
The woman’s son-in-law, said the post-mortem was conducted on Monday and they received the death certificate, which confirmed that the woman died of leptospirosis.
 |
Guyana’s Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy.
GINA Photo |
Commenting on the six deaths so far, Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy said there is no outbreak and is urging persons to report symptoms early to health care providers , “We have not confirmed these and the post mortems have not always confirmed that, but the persons had entered the hospital as suspected cases.”
The minister confirmed that reports of 70 cases of similar symptoms reached the Health Ministry for 2008, with four persons being hospitalised at present.
The 70 suspected cases came from various areas including across the country that were hit by the heavy rainfall here, which caused flooding of up to four feet of water accumulation.
But Ramsammy argued that none of the four suspected cases in the hospital right now under observation are from flooded areas.
"We have been following these persons and there has been no evidence of these persons going to flooded areas, however, it could be occupational hazards…these are people who work in farms and are exposed to animals,” he said.
Ramsammy noted that flood conditions and the rainy season are conducive to the spread of the bacteria that cause this disease and, hence, persons experiencing flu-like conditions like cold, fever, coughs and other conditions such as salmonella and dysentery type of illnesses, including diarrhoea and vomiting should immediately seek the attention of a health worker to ensure they are appropriately diagnosed and treated.
“Go to the health centres,” was the minister's call to the nation. "Go to your regular doctors. The things that we used to stay home with this are not the time for us to do so. Anyone with fever should ensure they go to see a health care provider, public or private… People should not stay home and try to deal with their illnesses and hope they would go away,” he urged.
Meanwhile, health officials say it is not time to start a widespread prophylaxis programme, which entails consuming doxycycline, the preventative treatment, since the risk of an early introduction of doxycycline seems to outweigh the benefits.
Responding to recent calls by residents in flooded areas for the introduction of this drug as was done in the 2005 flood, the minister said, “It is easy for people to say just use antibiotic, I want them to understand there are dangers. If you use too much antibiotics these will kill the bacteria; and you are not only killing off the opportunistic ones that cause diseases, but you are also killing off the ones that live in your body normally that help to protect us… we can’t try to protect against one thing and leave people vulnerable to another.”
Citing an example, the minister said that women who use too much antibiotics can leave themselves vulnerable to fungal infections, particularly of the reproductive tract. | | | | Reads : 1087 | | | |
|
|
