In the wake of Hurricane Melissa comes news of an outbreak of leptospirosis in some of the most affected areas.

Eight parishes have confirmed or suspected cases, namely St Ann, St Mary, St James, Hanover, Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, St Catherine and Trelawny.

For the past two weeks, the emphasis has been placed on collecting donations while the devastated areas have gone unattended. Now there is a health crisis of epic proportions.

Efforts must be made to expedite assistance for parishes decimated by Hurricane Melissa with a multi-pronged approach applied rather than a one-dimensional remedy.

On a trip to see the damage first hand, areas like Cornwall Mountain, Bethel Town, Treasure Beach, little has been done to rehabilitate these areas, with stagnant water, dead animals, and flooded areas being a breeding ground for bacteria.

These areas are grounds for the virulent spread of leptospirosis, where animals are displaced and people urinate and defecate outdoors.

So what is leptospirosis?

According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Leptospirosis is a disease caused by bacteria. It affects people and animals. It is spread in the urine of infected animals. Leptospirosis risk often increases after a hurricane or flood when people have contact with contaminated water or soil.

“Without treatment, leptospirosis in people can lead to kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure, trouble breathing, even death. About one million cases of people globally each year are infected, with about sixty thousand deaths recorded. The bacteria can survive in contaminated water or soil for weeks to months. It takes 2 to 30 days to get sick after contact. Symptoms in humans include fever, headache, chills, vomiting and stomach pain. Leptospirosis is treated with antibiotics such as doxycycline or penicillin.”

Rats and other vermin are known to be spreaders of leptospirosis. 

What is urgently needed in Jamaica now is wastewater solutions and the clearance of debris. The longer this goes unattended, the more hazardous these areas become to Jamaicans’ health. The last thing the country needs is an outbreak of cholera to exacerbate mounting problems.

Inertia is proving detrimental.  Haste is required. 

Addressing the issue of spreading Leptospirosis in Jamaica, Minister of Health Dr Christopher Tufton said: “It is something that can be managed, can be controlled, can be treated and beyond the normal numbers. We have to make it known and we are making it known so that the public can be informed and the measures to be taken can be outlined, which includes their own personal responsibility, which everyone has to take, particularly in these circumstances after a major event such as Hurricane Melissa.” 

The outbreak of human leptospirosis has been linked to contaminated water bodies. Leptospirosis is a pathogenic disease with the potential to turn into an epidemic.  The problem is that many of the hospitals and healthcare centres in the affected areas have been severely damaged by the hurricane. 

The government must move quickly to supply people in these areas with clean water.