ISLAMABAD: The National Institute of Health (NIH) on Sunday issued an awareness and communication alert for Human Leptospirosis.
NIH’s Centre for Disease Control said that the objective of the advisory is to alert and facilitate the health authorities and other stakeholders to ensure early detection, timely management, and laboratory detection of Leptospirosis cases.
The advisory said that Leptospirosis is a rare zoonotic bacterial illness caused by the bacterium belonging to the Leptospira genus, which transmits from animals, mostly pets, cattle, rodents, and other wild animals to humans through contact with infected animal excreta.
Leptospirosis occurs worldwide but is more common in subtropical and tropical areas with high rainfall.
Leptospirosis Cases in Pakistan
In recent years, cases of human and animal Leptospirosis have been witnessed in various countries in the Middle East. However, sporadic cases have been recorded in Pakistan in the past few years.
The disease is found mainly wherever humans come into contact with the infected animals’ urine or a urine-polluted environment.
It is an occupational hazard for many people who work outdoors, with animals or water-based activities. In this disease, person-to-person transmission is very rare, and there may be individuals who have been exposed to a common source.
