KINGSTON (Reuters) – Jamaica has declared an outbreak of the bacterial disease leptospirosis, suspected of causing six deaths, after suffering, at the end of October, the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.
The Category 5 hurricane hit the Caribbean island on October 28, causing catastrophic flooding and mudslides. The stagnant and contaminated water resulting from the rains created a fertile ground for the disease, authorities explained.
Health Minister Christopher Tufton announced this Friday that nine cases were confirmed between October 30 and November 20, and there are 28 suspected cases.
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Leptospirosis is transmitted through water or soil contaminated by the urine of infected animals, such as rodents. The infection can enter the human body through cuts in the skin or through the eyes, nose and mouth.
Although initial symptoms, such as fever, headache and muscle aches, are similar to those of the flu, the disease can progress to a serious and potentially fatal form. It can cause kidney failure, liver damage, meningitis and severe internal bleeding.
“The outbreak follows the passage of the storm, which created conditions that increased the risk of exposure to contaminated water and soil,” Tufton said at a news conference.
He warned that anyone who comes into contact with flood waters could be at risk, including ‘farmers, people involved in clean-up activities, emergency responders and others boating in flooded areas’.
Hurricane Melissa caused an estimated $10 billion in damage, according to Jamaican authorities, crippling the country’s key tourism and agricultural sectors and damaging about 200,000 buildings.
