After flood, Acre records cases of leptospirosis

The government of Acre expressed concern about the increasing trend in leptospirosis cases, as a result of the rains that hit the state at the beginning of this year and caused the Acre River and streams in the region to flood. Because of this, management warned residents about precautions to avoid infection.

Leptospirosis is caused by leptospira bacteria, through direct or indirect exposure to the urine of infected animals. With rain, waste containing the microorganism can mix with water in ditches, ponds, mud and even in places where floods form.

The disease can lead to death and occurs in both urban and rural areas. Júlia Galdino, veterinary doctor in the technical area of ​​the Leptospirosis zoonosis center at the Acre Health Department (Sesacre) reported the number of people who have been infected so far in the state.

“From January until this week, we confirmed a total of 14 cases of leptospirosis in Acre, three in Rio Branco, three in Senador Guiomard, six in Cruzeiro do Sul and one in Brasileia. Another 304 are under investigation in six municipalities that, including , were affected by the floods”, highlighted Galdino.

Local authorities recommend avoiding contact with flood water or mud as a prevention measure. If contact has occurred, it is recommended to wash the affected area with soap and water. For people who work cleaning mud, debris and unblocking drainage channels, the recommendation is to use protective equipment, such as boots and rubber gloves.

After cleaning, the use of sodium hypochlorite (bleach) is recommended. The product kills leptospires and should be used to disinfect reservoirs (1 liter of bleach for every thousand liters of water) and places and objects that have had contact with contaminated water or mud (one glass of bleach in a 20-liter bucket of water). It is important to remember that, during the cleaning and disinfection processes of places where there has been flooding, feet and hands must also be protected from contact with water.

The most common symptoms of leptospirosis are, initially, a virus-like condition, with high fever, headache, pain in the eyes, as well as pain in the calves (legs) and, later, jaundice (yellowing of the skin). The last two are the most distinct for identifying the disease.