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Health Ministry’s surveillance teams monitoring water-borne diseases

Mar 23, 2011 News

Despite recent rainfall there has been no alarming increase in water-borne diseases, according to reports from the Ministry of Health. However, the threat of leptospirosis is always there even if there is only two hours of rainfall, said Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects humans. It is usually caused by exposure to water contaminated with the urine of infected animals.
The Minister revealed that the Ministry has in place a surveillance team, consisting of Epidemiology Nurses and Officers who are tasked with finding every reported case of leptospirosis. The team also monitors reports of dengue and other water-borne infections, the Minister added.
“For every reported or confirmed case we visit that family and neighbourhood and we educate them. If there is a case of leptospirosis we will take doxycycline (an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections) and distribute in the immediate neighbourhood, and that occurs whether we have a flood or not,” the Minister said.
He however, pointed to the fact that Guyana seems to have a steady pattern as it relates to water-borne diseases, whereby there is always a little bit of an increase whenever the rainy season comes.
He revealed that the Ministry had observed a reduced incidence during the latter part of last year which perhaps indicates that people are being more careful when it comes to their exposure to flood waters or an increase in the immunity of the population.
“The conditions for leptospirosis are always there whenever there is rain and water accumulates on the ground; once there is water and moist situations particularly in grass. No matter how I say it…some people always prefer to go barefooted or wear open shoes…so there is always the threat…”
However, the Minister noted that there remain fewer incidences of leptospirosis even though the Ministry has increased its vigilance to monitor the disease.
In the wake of recent rainfall, the Minister said that the use of doxycycline has been permitted in flooded affected areas once it is seen as necessary by health workers. However, he explained that of recent there has been no recommendation for mass distribution.
“If the need comes we will do so because we are always prepared and we have enough supplies…but our doctors are far more skilful at managing leptospirosis so you don’t see deaths with leptospirosis.”
In addition, he revealed that continued mass distribution could increase the risk of parasites and bugs associated with leptospirosis developing a resistance to the antibiotic.
The Minister also revealed that during the past few weeks, which saw consistent rainfall, there has not been a change in the disease profile as it relates to diarrhoea and skin infections as seen at the hospitals and health centres.
This, he attributed to his belief that more people, particularly since the 2005 floods, have gotten use to the standard operating procedure of safeguarding themselves.  He noted that people are making use of certain kinds of antibiotic creams, adding that “before 2005 you would see dramatic rise in skin infections. Since 2005 the floods are not accompany by dramatic rise there is always some noise in the system in terms of the up and down number of cases but you do not see a sustained increase in these cases.”

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