KUALA LUMPUR: Leptospirosis is the third most deadly disease in Malaysia after dengue and malaria, said a leading parasitologist.
Malaysian Society of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine president Associate Professor Dr Siti Nursheena Mohd Zain said based on studies conducted by Universiti Malaya, leptospirosis was very prevalent during the wet rainy season and accounted for 12,325 cases with 338 deaths over an eight-year period from 2004.
“The risk of contracting leptospirosis is higher during this stage as urine from rodents like rats is easily transmitted through the flowing water,” she added.
Dr Siti Nursheena said statistics provided by the Health Ministry found that the ratio of male victims compared with females was 4:1 in the 30-39 years age bracket, with the fatality rate recorded at 2.7 per cent, or 338 deaths, over an eight-year period from 2004.
“In total, there were 12,325 cases reported for leptospirosis during that period, with Malacca being a hotspot for the disease,” she said in her presidential address at the opening of the ‘56th Annual Scientific Conference of the Malaysian Society of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine’ at Hotel Istana here.
The event was held in conjunction with the ‘3rd Asian Simuliidae Symposium’ themed ‘Neglected, Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases: The Evolution of One Health from Challenges to Solutions’.
Dr Siti Nursheena said municipal service workers were found to be at the greatest risk of contracting leptospirosis in view of their job nature, especially in handling garbage and other unhygienic chores.
“The two pathogenic serovars most commonly found in rodents are leptospira interrogans serovar Bataviae and leptospira borgpetersenii serovar Javanica.
“Other than rats, swine and dogs are also carriers of the leptospirosis disease.
“In dogs and swine, Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola and Leptospira interrogans serovar Pomona are prevalent,” she said, adding the study also found pathogenic serovars very common in the environment and that the isolates were resistant to common antibiotics.
In conjunction with the conference, Dr Siti Nursheena witnessed a Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony involving Malaysia, Indonesia and Taiwan for a collaboration on research and education on parasitology and tropical medicine.
Indonesian Parasitic Disease Control Association president Dr Rita Kusriastuti and Taiwan Society of Parasitology president Prof Dr Petrus Tang were the signatories.