Leptospirosis Outbreak

I just want to mention it, after the news of leptospirosis outbreak in Penang. It is due to the cleanlines of the immegration detention centre.Now the authority itself admit it and urge the other detention centre to clean their premises.

I have never been to the detention centre before; but if it have such an outbreak, it must be damn filthy, rat infested and also congested area.I doubt if any health officer from Pejabat Kesihatan Daerah been invited to inspect the detention centre.

In 1980's and 1990's have seen patient get infected by leptospirosis because they went to field work at oil palm estate or at the jungle.Apparently now things changed.One of my relative was admitted to Intensive care unit due to leptospirosis infection and subsequently he sufferred kidney failure , lucky for him, he don't have to undergo dyalisis.

Patient usually present with fever, spiking in nature,sweating, hypotension, tachycardia, and drowsy. Later he may became septicemia, liver and kidney failure.Usually they have tinge of joundice since the start of fever.Fortunately if the right antibiotic given, they will recover.They are sensitive to old generation of antibiotic, such as doxymycin.

What they should do? clearly the inmate must be given health education, discard their poor hygiene habit. The premises must be cleaned, get the inmate to involved in the cleaning the area.

Make a point to clean the water tank, cover it properly. The inmate may actually didn't get enough supply of water, one tank may not be enough so install some more.The inmate may probably try to safe some amount of water in a dirty ,exposed container for their own consumption, and then it soiled by the rodent at night.

A congested area of detention centre worsen the severity of any outbreak. We should learn from japanese detention camp in the 40's.Fascilitate the processing and deportation of this inmate , it will ease up the congestion. Otherwise the authority must open up new detention centre.They are human too.