Danger can trap people everywhere. And this is not a joke, but a harsh reality. Neatness and hygiene compliance will never prevent. It is important to understand that mud is the source of many diseases, and leptospirosis is one of them.
What is the disease of leptospirosis?
Leptospirosis is an infectious disease that is caused by leptospira. In people, leptospirosis is called canine or Japanese fever, as well as infectious jaundice. The source of infection can only be an animal (mouse, rat, shrew, dog and others). A person, even if infected, does not present any danger to others.
Most often develops leptospirosis in a person dealing with livestock (on livestock farms, slaughterhouses). The disease penetrates the body when the skin or mucous membranes come in contact with contaminated water, earth or food contaminated with meat and blood of animals.
Leptospirosis in humans can begin even after infection enters the body through a small scratch or wound on the skin. However, statistics show that the main way to penetrate the "contagion" is the nasopharynx and digestive tract.
The main symptoms of leptospirosis
The incubation period of leptospirosis can last from four to fourteen weeks. The active development of the disease begins quite suddenly, and there are no precursors of it. Conditionally, the ailment can be divided into two main phases. At the first stage, the infection is determined in the blood, and the disease itself manifests itself as follows:
- severe pain in the muscles ;
- headaches;
- loss of appetite;
- disturbance of the regimen of the day, insomnia;
- strong unceasing thirst;
- chills and a sharp increase in temperature.
To conduct a diagnosis of leptospirosis at the first stage, it is necessary to take a blood test. If the disease has passed into the second phase, then you can determine it only by submitting an analysis of urine. The second phase is characterized by damage to the nervous system, liver and kidneys. In some cases, such diseases as hepatitis or meningitis may develop.
In order for the disease to be diagnosed as early as possible, when the first signs of leptospirosis appear, it is immediately recommended that you turn to a professional for examination and diagnosis.
Treatment and prevention of leptospirosis
You can not joke with this disease. Leptospirosis is serious, and disappointing statistics show that about ten percent of cases end very tragically. That is why the treatment of leptospirosis is necessarily accompanied by the appointment of bed rest.
If the disease is detected at an early stage, antibiotic treatment may be prescribed, supplemented with the use of special antileptospiral immunoglobulins. Launched forms of illness can be cured only in intensive care. It is important to remember that self-medication in this case (as, indeed, in the case of all other diseases) is unacceptable, and the entire medical complex should be appointed only by a specialist.
To avoid problems, it is possible to conduct regular preventive measures in the territories of the most probable places of the disease development:
- It is necessary to monitor the state of water in water bodies.
- On livestock farms, the incidence of animals must be controlled. Regular health status of livestock should be checked by specialists.
- Workers of potentially dangerous places should be protected from leptospirosis with a special vaccine.
- It is important to monitor the population of rats and other rodents. Regularly it is necessary to carry out deratization.