Quito, March 12 (EFE).- The Government of Ecuador this Sunday expressed its concern at an unusual increase in leptospirosis cases compared to previous years, the registration of which has exceeded fifty in the current rainy season in coastal areas and tropics Country.
The Ministry of Health reported that there have been 54 cases of leptospirosis so far this year and that one infected person has died, although he was also suffering from other diseases.
The undersecretary for surveillance at the Ministry of Health, Francisco Pérez, explained that leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease that is transmitted in spaces with stagnant water or through contact with infected animals.
He added that the coastal province of Guayas (particularly the municipality of Durán) has been hit hardest, with 31 cases, although infections have also been detected in neighboring Manabí (9) and tropical Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas (5), among others.
According to Pérez, 18 cases of patients infected with the Leptospira bacterium were detected in the last week, compared to only three in the same period last year.
The cases were detected after heavy rains in areas with poor sanitation, especially sewers, and where contamination of stagnant waters with the urine of animals susceptible to infection such as rodents, dogs, cattle, pigs, horses and other wild animals was noted.
The Ministry of Health recommended that the population avoid contact with standing water, wash their hands constantly, ensure the consumption of well-cooked food and drain the surfaces.
Symptoms of leptospirosis include fever, headache and muscle aches, nausea and vomiting, added the source, who recommended emergency medical attention if those signs appear, which can be confused with other viral illnesses.
In addition to leptospirosis, which can be potentially fatal, other diseases have also been identified this season, such as an isolated and imported case of chikungunya and 3,500 cases of dengue, 18 of which have been classified as serious.
However, Pérez clarified that these records are in the expected range. EFE
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