"We consider there was an outbreak of the leptospirosis disease, because the disease had caused the death of five infected people in Nogosari and Ngemplak," Boyolali Health Office chief Yulianto Prabowo said here on Wednesday.
Yulianto said the leptospirosis cases had been prevalent in Boyolali since 2012, with only two infected people in the Ngemplak sub-district.
Previously in 2011, there were reports of six people being infected from leptospirosis in Nogosari and Ngemplak, who were successfully cured.
Leptospirosis cases were again reported in 2014, when four people in Nogosari and two others in Ngemplak sub-districts were found to be suffering from the disease.
Therefore, from this leptospirosis outbreak, the Boyolali Health Office is expected to increase its prevention effort before the disease spreads to other areas.
The Boyolali health office is working together with the Development Research Institute of Animal Borne Disease Control and the Banjarnegara Health Ministry office to handle the disease.
"We are conducting studies in an effort to anticipate leptospirosis by examining the disease, its treatment and the rat population increase in the affected area," he said.
Leptospirosis is an infection caused by bacteria of the Leptospira type. Symptoms can range from none to mild, such as headaches, muscles pains, and fevers, to severe with bleeding from the lungs or meningitis.
The disease is transmitted by both wild and domestic animals. The most common animals to spread it are rodents. It is often transmitted by animal urine or water containing animal urine coming into contact with breaks in the skin, the eyes, mouth or nose.
"Cattles or animals besides rats, such as cats, cows, and goats, are also susceptible of contracting the disease as carriers," Yulianto said.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2014
