Leptospirosis

Leptospirosis is a bacterial zoonotic disease caused by spirochaetes of the genus Leptospira that affects humans and a wide range of animals, including mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles.

Though being recognised among the world's most common zoonoses, leptospirosis is a relatively rare bacterial infection in humans. The infection is commonly transmitted to humans by allowing water that has been contaminated by animal urine to come in contact with unhealed breaks in the skin, eyes or with the mucous membranes.

Leptospirosis is transmitted by the urine of an infected animal and is contagious as long as it is still moist. Humans become infected through contact with water, food, or soil containing urine from these infected animals. This may happen by swallowing contaminated food or water, or through skin contact. The disease is not known to be spread from person to person and cases of bacterial dissemination in convalescence are extremely rare in humans. Although rats, mice and moles are important primary hosts, a wide range of other mammals including dogs, deer, rabbits, hedgehogs, cows, sheep, raccoons, possums, skunks, and certain marine mammals are able to carry and transmit the disease as secondary hosts.

Leptospiral infection in humans causes a range of symptoms, and some infected persons may have no symptoms at all. Leptospirosis is a biphasic disease that begins with flu-like symptoms (fever, chills, myalgias, intense headache). The first phase resolves, and the patient is briefly asymptomatic until the second phase begins. This is characterized by meningitis, liver damage (causing jaundice), and renal failure. The infection is often wrongly diagnosed due to the wide range of symptoms. This leads to a lower registered number of cases than actually exist. Symptoms of leptospirosis include high fever, severe headache, chills, muscle aches, and vomiting, and may include jaundice, red eyes, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and rash. The symptoms in humans appear after a 4–14 day incubation period.

Rats, rats, rats!

LEPTOSPIROSIS is not the only disease you can get from rats. Here are some other diseases we can also get from our rodent friends.

1. Bubonic plague

You can get bubonic plague – a disease characterised by swollen, painful lymph glands – if bitten by a rodent flea that carries a bacterium called Yersinia pestis. While modern antibiotics are effective against it, if you do not get it treated promptly, it can still cause illness and death.

2. Murine typhus

You can also get murine typhus, an illness caused by a bacterium called Rickettsia typhi, if you are bitten by an infected rodent flea or mite. According to the second home edition of the Merck Manual of Medical Information, common symptoms include fever, severe headache, a characteristic skin rash and a general feeling of illness (malaise). Modern antibiotics are also effective against this disease. However, if left untreated or treated too late, death can occur.

3. Rat-bite fever

As it name suggests, rat-bite fever is an acute illness which usually develops after having been bitten or scratched by an infected rat or other rodents (such as mice and gerbils). In Asia, it is usually caused by the bacterium Spirillum minus. According to the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, common symptoms include fever, ulceration at the rate-bite wound, swollen lymph nodes near the wound, and a distinct rash. This occurs following partial healing of the wound.

4. Salmonellosis

Rodents can also carry Salmonella, a group of bacteria that can cause diarrhoeal illness in humans, in their faeces. We can be infected if we eat foods that are contaminated with the bacteria.

Although many recover without treatment, this infection can be life-threatening, especially for infants and young children, pregnant women and their unborn babies, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. There is still no vaccine for this disease, but antibiotics can be prescribed to treat it. It can be prevented by washing your hands properly before preparing food or eating.

Wash your hands

In conjunction of the recurrent of H1N1, Malaysians are encouraged to maintain personal hygiene to prevent the spread of influenza A(H1N1).

We are advised:

• Practise good hand hygiene – frequent hand-washing with soap and water, ensuring all surfaces of the hands are cleaned. Once washed, dry hands thoroughly with a clean dry towel.

• Practise good cough and sneeze etiquette – cough into the crook of your elbow rather than your hands. Sneeze into a tissue to minimize hand contact, discard tissue, and wash your hands immediately.

• Avoid touching mouth, nose and eyes with hands.

• Use hand sanitiser if soap and water is unavailable.

• Regularly disinfect all commonly touched areas, such as door knobs, taps, light switches, TV remote controls, and computer keyboards.

• Seek advice from your doctor via telephone first if you are feeling unwell and displaying flu-like symptoms. Do not go to work.

Proper hygiene practices play an important role in minimizing the spread of germs and infections.

Drug addiction

Drug addiction is a pathological or abnormal condition which arises due to frequent drug use. The disorder of addiction involves the progression of acute drug use to the development of drug-seeking behavior, the vulnerability to relapse, and the decreased, slowed ability to respond to naturally rewarding stimuli. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition has categorized three stages of addiction: preoccupation/anticipation, binge/intoxication, and withdrawal/negative affect. These stages are characterized, respectively, everywhere by constant cravings and preoccupation with obtaining the substance; using more of the substance than necessary to experience the intoxicating effects; and experiencing tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, and decreased motivation for normal life activities. By the American Society of Addiction Medicine definition, drug addiction differs from drug dependence and drug tolerance.

It is, both among scientists and other writers, quite usual to allow the concept of drug addiction to include persons who are not drug abusers according to the definition of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. The term drug addiction is then used as a category which may include the same persons who under the DSM-IV can be given the diagnosis of substance dependence or substance abuse.

Miracle for H1N1 patient (Real Experience)

Received the below email:

To all friends,

Just a small but meaningful info from me to you and your friends.

My staff was crying herself sick on Tuesday morning...was told that her son was confirmed of H1N1 in his Uni at Kangar, Perlis...worse was that when he was bedridden 2 days the warden didnt even bother to sent to hospital till his dad came fm KL and with his friends assistance brought him to GH Kangar.

No one bothered in the hospital and he was put in the normal ward for another 2 days!!! (imagine the amount of people he has infected!!) .....after 2 days and his eyes were turning yellow and saliva greenish...he was put in quarantined room...

His mom practically fainted just telling me the story.. cant do much cos she does not have enough money to go to the north with the father...

First thing we did was made her call the hospital and insist that they sent him to Sg.Buloh Hospital or any other hospital in KL since they seemed to be more alert and more equipt...they refused of course...so I sent her off to Kangar the same day to solve the problem.

Whilst this was happening, I had a call from one Ustaz who was in town to "help cure" another H1N1 child in Shah Alam....and was told this simple prescription by him.....

EAT MINIMUM 6 GREEN APPLES A DAY AND FRESH ORANGE JUICE for those with sore throat please blend the apples and keep on taking till your fever disappear and yr symptoms are gone....I cannot explain it but the child in Shah Alam was ok too after taking this tip....

my staff's son was given the apple juice for the whole day on Monday/Tuesday and he was out of the fever yesterday Wednesday... .she called me and was crying on the phone to say that her son was out of ICU and was able to eat normally...all these happened within just 4 days today (thursday 6 august)...

This is just to share with my fellow sisters and brothers and hope this small info could assist others as well, No harm in trying and anything can happen!!!!

Beware when buying cut-fruit

A 10 year old boy, had eaten pineapple about 15 days back, and fell sick, from the day he had eaten. Later when he had his health check done, doctors diagnosed that he had AIDS. His parents couldn't believe it. Then the entire family under went a check-up, none of them suffered from Aids. So the doctors checked again with the boy if he had eaten out. The boy said "yes". He had pineapple that evening. Immediately a group from Malaya Hospital went to the pineapple vendor to check. They found the pineapple seller had a cut on his finger while cutting the pineapple, his blood had spread into the fruit. When they had his blood checked, the guy was suffering from AIDS but he himself was NOT aware. Unfortunately the boy is suffering from it now.

Please take care while you eat on the road side.

What is Tuberculosis?

Hubby's grandpa is recently being called by the govt. clinic back for treatment after having a "spit" test. According to them, he is possible carrying TB. Before the blood test report out, they already started the treatment which include injection and medication.

I am checking out the detail about this disease and share with all of you.

Tuberculosis (abbreviated as TB for tubercle bacillus or Tuberculosis) is a common and often deadly infectious disease. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs (as pulmonary TB) but can also affect the central nervous system, the lymphatic system, the circulatory system, the genitourinary system, the gastrointestinal system, bones, joints, and even the skin.

Symptoms include chest pain, coughing up blood, and a productive, prolonged cough for more than three weeks. Systemic symptoms include fever, chills, night sweats, appetite loss, weight loss, pallor, and often a tendency to fatigue very easily. Infection of other organs causes a wide range of symptoms.

The diagnosis relies on radiology (commonly chest X-rays), a tuberculin skin test, blood tests, as well as microscopic examination and microbiological culture of bodily fluids.

Tuberculosis treatment is difficult and requires long courses of multiple antibiotics. Contacts are also screened and treated if necessary.

Tuberculosis is spread through the air, when people who have the disease cough, sneeze, speak or spit.