Last night we told you about the Chikungunya virus, known as Chik-V - and all that's being done to minimize its impact in Belize. But one illness that's been with us, is Leptospirosis. That's a bacterial infection caused - in the urban setting - by exposure to rat droppings and rat urine. Currently there's one serious case in Belize City - and the Director of Health services discussed it yesterday:..
Dr. Michael Pitts, Director of Health Service
"What we have learnt over the last 24 hours is that there was young person, a 21 year old presented with signs and symptoms of an illness that did not start out looking like lepto, but with the astuteness of the physician after 36 hours they in fact diagnose lepto. What it means that we have to go out to the area where that person lives and see what are the particular environmental conditions, and try to do some "de-ratification." I understand in this case the gentleman had very severe symptoms, came in first with respiratory symptoms and then progress downhill, but has since stabilize and I think should be improving. There is the question as to whether there is another case but we haven't confirmed it yet. We are following those up. If you see a rat running in your house during the day time you have a high level of infestation. Call us at public health to the extent that we have the tools we will assist, but again citizens have to their part."
Leptospirosis can also affect dogs.
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