Don’t know what leptospirosis is? Don’t fret. If you’re currently living in Bangkok, you’ll soon know more about the causes, symptoms, and treatment for the grisly-looking bacterial skin infection than you ever might have wished.
Leptospirosis belongs in the family of water-borne skin diseases, one of many water-borne ailments that Bangkok residents and city hospitals will soon be battling. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently publicized a warning that Thai citizens displaced by the floods may soon be at high risk for contracting water-borne diseases, including diarrhea, eye infections, and respiratory illnesses. Water-borne parasites and skin ailments like leptospirosis (which is transmitted to humans when animal urine makes contact with open wounds via water), and mosquito-born illnesses like dengue fever and malaria may also become issues of great concern for Bangkok residents, as hygiene levels drop among shelters and water flower increases throughout the city.
Will Thai health officials be able to cope with the likely public health crisis? Widespread treatment of such ailments will require highly organized, proactive distribution of antibiotics and clean drinking water, as well as medications to treat parasites and mosquito nets to halt the spread of malaria and dengue fever. Much will depend on health departments having plentiful, available stockpiles of such supplies. Another important factor in treatment will be the required treatments for various water-bourn diseases. Milder cases of leptospirosis, eye infections, and gastrointestinal infections may be distributed to the public so that they may self medicate, but other types of water-bourn ailments (including dengue fever, typhoid, and malaria) may necessitate hospital care. Will Thai hospitals be prepared with the necessary medications, staff, and medical supplies if they experience a surge of patients? With the presence of flooding, will sufficient numbers of public hospitals even be open to admit patients for overnight stays and treatment? Can Thailand’s public health crisis be averted before it starts?
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
People can donate towards a boat more boats less time in water
Please get your facts right.
Leptospirosis, although usually transmitted by small cuts in the skin, is NOT a skin infection, it’s much worse.
For Details see here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptospirosis
Prevention is better that cure. I agree with Doc, leptospirosis is deadly and we can all avoid it if we wear boots or some kind of protection.
{ 1 trackback }