Mysterious disease in Tanzania turns out to be leptospirosis

A mysterious disease that emerged in the East African country of Tanzania turns out to be leptospirosis, a bacterial disease transmitted by rodents. This is reported by the Minister of Health Ummy Mwalimu. Three people have already died from the ‘rat disease’.

Door Belgian

&nbsp- 23/07/2022 om 12:00

Twenty cases have been identified in the Lindi region. Therefore, the authorities sent a team of doctors and experts on site to investigate the disease.

Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu, who visited the region, said on Monday that the disease is caused by a bacteria secreted by wild animals, such as rats or foxes. Humans can then become infected through water or food contaminated with the animals’ urine.

Treatable

“The good news is that this disease is preventable and treatable,” said the minister, urging the population to keep calm.

Most infected people have since recovered from the disease. The patients had symptoms such as nosebleeds, fever, headache and fatigue. Two of them are still in isolation.

The patients all tested negative for Ebola, COVID-19 and the Margburg virus, a rare but highly contagious pathogen. Leptospirosis is also known as rat disease or mud fever. In extreme cases, the infection can affect organs such as the liver, kidneys and brain, with potentially fatal consequences.