Thailand warns of Leptospirosis as over 1000 people have been infected

BANGKOK, 31 July 2011 (NNT) – Thailand’s Permanent Secretary for Public Health MD. Paijit Warachit has revealed a new record high of people contracting Leptospirosis. The statistics has prompted health officials to inform people to avoid walking barefooted in the muddy fields.

According to Dr. Paijit, the number of patients has reached 1,043 patients during the first 7 months this year and so far 16 of them have died. Leptospirosis is a common disease found during the rainy season. A human can contract the disease by being exposed to infected water from puddles, ponds and animal urine.

The symptoms include nausea, red eyes, constipation and high fever. People are told not to wade into the water with their bare feet especially if there are wounds. Among all regions in Thailand, the Northeast has reported the highest number of patients at 568, followed by the South, the North and the Central region.