LEPTOSPIROSIS IN KOLKATA- A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OVER EIGHT YEARS IN A MEDICAL COLLEGE AND HOSPITAL
Journal Title: Journal of Evolution of Medical and Dental Sciences - Year 2017, Vol 6, Issue 87
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leptospirosis is a bacterial infectious disease that affects humans and animals. It is caused by pathogenic spirochetes of the genus Leptospira. It is a specific zoonotic disease with worldwide distribution with a much greater incidence in tropical countries like India. In West Bengal, especially in Kolkata, there is high average rainfall with water holding capacity of soil. Also, there is a huge natural population of rodents and stray dogs which serve as the carrier of the disease. The sanitary arrangements for the roadside slaughtering houses are very poor. In the rainy season, parts of the city remain waterlogged. The above points are the sole reasons for the cases of leptospirosis in the city of Kolkata. There were considerable good number of cases from the surrounding areas. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was conducted between 2009 to 2017 in a Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata. Samples were collected from clinically suspected cases, with history of possible exposure, in the rainy seasons and included the same in our study for testing. We got a total of 42 suspected cases during the eight-year study period. Cases were mostly from Kolkata, suburbs, North and South 24 Parganas and Midnapore. Microscopic agglutination test (MAT) following standard procedures was used. 7 Reference strains belonging to 12 serogroups were included in the MAT panel as antigens. RESULTS Of the 42 sera tested, 34 (30.4%) were positive for IgM antibodies against Leptospira, and 32 of these were positive by latex agglutination method. Also, MAT was positive in thirty of these thirty-four positive patients. Antibodies were found against several serogroups (Australis 1:100; Bataviae 1:200; Canicola 1:200; Copenhageni 1:400; Sejroe 1:800; Ballum 1:100; Icterohaemorrhagiae 1:100; Pyrogenes 1:800). But antibodies of multiple serogroups were not found in a single specimen. CONCLUSION Current methods for the direct detection of Leptospires are either slow or of limited reliability so that serology is often the most appropriate diagnostic method. Treatment with effective antibiotics should be initiated as soon as the diagnosis of leptospirosis is suspected and preferably before the fifth day after the onset of illness. The benefit of antibiotics after the fifth day of the disease is controversial. However, most clinicians treat with antibiotics regardless of the date of onset of the illness. These were done in all of these cases and there was no death among the four positive cases.
Authors and Affiliations
Saha Dalal Bibhas, Roy Swagnik, Dasgupta Rajat
Keywords
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- EP ID EP277713
- DOI 10.14260/jemds/2017/1317
- Views 86
- Downloads 0
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