COMPARATIVE STUDY ON SERO PREVALENCE OF LEPTOSPIRA –IGM AMONG CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS AND A COMMUNITY WHERE IDEAL ENVIRONMENT FOR LEPTOSPIROSIS OCCUR : A STUDY IN A MEDICAL COLLEGE & HOSPITAL

Abstract

Leptospirosis is a potentially fatal zoonosis that is mostly occurs in heavy rainfall, ooded and poor sanitisation areas . In west Bengal specially in Kolkata, there is high average rainfall with water holding capacity of soil [9]. As rodents like rats ,livestock and pets are reservoir for leptospires, their urine containing leptospires can contaminate the water by which humans get infected either by direct or indirect exposure to this contaminated water. Rats are main hosts of serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae, cattle of Hardjo and Pomona, pigs of Pomona or Tarrossovi, and dogs of Canicola[10]. On the other hand people living in urban slum encirclement with inadequate sanitation are at high risk of rat exposure and leptospiros is .Farmers , Sewage workers , Miners , Veterinarians and individuals who are involved in Water sports, Gardening, Ecotourism are at high risk for leptospirosis [11,33,61]. These occupations involve activities likely to result in exposure of wounds, cuts and to soil and water contaminated with the urine containing leptospire of rodents and animals from which workers get infected .All these above points are crucial reasons for the cases of leptospirosis in Kolkata.