NIH issues alert for bacterial disease affecting humans, animals

ISLAMABAD: The National Institute of Health (NIH) has issued an awareness and communication alert for Human Leptospirosis – a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals.

According to NIH’s Centre for Disease Control, the objective of this advisory is to alert and facilitate the health authorities and other stakeholders to ensure early detection, timely management and laboratory detection of Leptospirosis cases.

The advisory said that Leptospirosis is a rare zoonotic bacterial disease caused by the bacterium belonging to the Leptospira genus, which transmits from animals mostly rodents, pets, cattle and other wild animals to humans through contact with infected animal excreta.

Leptospirosis occurs worldwide but is more common in tropical and subtropical areas with high rainfall.

In recent years, cases of human and animal Leptospirosis have been reported in numerous countries in the Middle East.

However, sporadic cases have been reported in Pakistan in the past few years. The disease is found mainly wherever humans come into contact with the urine of infected animals or a urine-polluted environment.

It is an occupational hazard for many people who work outdoors or with animals or water-based activities. Person-to-person transmission is very rare, there may be individuals who have been exposed to a common source.