Paddy Field Area and Geographical Condition on Leptospirosis Risk Factors in Bantul Regency, Indonesia

Abstract

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease which is transmitted through rat urine and associated with standing water. This study aims to identify the geographical risk factors of leptospirosis in Bantul Regency. This research using cross sectional design with variables of paddy field area, altitude, distance to shoreline, and distance to capital. The unit analysis is sub-district, using data in 2010-2020. Leptospirosis data obtained from Health Office. Data on altitude, distance to capital, and paddy fields area were obtained from the Statistics Agency. Shoreline distance obtained by using GIS processing. Leptospirosis during 2010–2020 were 969 cases. Spearman rank test showed that only distance to capital showed a negative correlation with leptospirosis (p 0.000; r -0.543). Altitude (p 0.153; r -0.05), paddy field area (p 0.338; r 0.248) and distance to shoreline (p 0.143; r 0.208) did not correlate with leptospirosis. This indicate that leptospirosis in Bantul Regency is not a rural disease and not related to paddy fields area. This provides information that prevention of leptospirosis should pay more attention to urban areas. Further research is needed to reveal the species of rat as vector, so that it can be studied in relation to control leptospirosis in Bantul Regency.