Puerto Rico: Leptospirosis Disease Alert After Hurricane Fiona

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Source: https://www.elimparcial.com/mundo/Pu...0926-0108.html

Puerto Rico: Leptospirosis Disease Alert After Hurricane Fiona
After the hurricane reached Puerto Rico, this day an alert was given for leptospirosis for six possible cases.
By EFE
September 26, 2022

San Juan.- This Monday it was announced by the Department of Health of Puerto Rico that it had issued an alert for the leptospirosis disease and seven suspected cases are being investigated on the island due to the floods that have been caused by Hurricane Fiona that happened a few years ago. one week.

Of these seven suspected cases that have been identified so far, all are under investigation and awaiting results, but, being a fatal disease, all these patients have been started on antibiotics as a precaution.

Four are men and three women, aged between 10 and 69 years, these were detected in the regions of Bayamón, Metro, Ponce, Caguas and Mayagüez, according to the Health statement.

Stay away from polluted water

The secretary insisted that citizens should mainly stay away from polluted waters.

Leptospirosis is a disease that can affect people who come into contact with water contaminated with the urine of infected animals.

Last Monday, September 19, a notice about the disease was shared with all health centers and a guide for managing cases of patients...

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Source: https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/p-rico-...fiona/47940452

They register 72 suspected cases of leptospirosis in P.Rico after Fiona's passage
This content was published on September 29, 2022 - 12:08 September 29, 2022 - 12:08

San Juan, Sep 29 (EFE).- The Department of Health (DH) of Puerto Rico increased the suspected cases of leptospirosis on the island to 72, associated with the floods caused by Hurricane Fiona a week and a half ago.

The head of the DS, Carlos Mellado, urged citizens, through a statement, not to touch water, soil or food that could be contaminated by coming into contact with urine (or other secretions) of infected animals.

"We make an urgent call for them to use gloves, safety glasses and closed shoes and consume bottled water," he urged.

In addition, he recommended that people who have a cut wear a waterproof Band-Aid or bandage and not walk, swim, bathe, submerge their heads or swallow flood water or any body of water that may be contaminated.

Likewise, he asked citizens to keep food, water and garbage in closed containers to avoid contact with rodents...

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Source: https://www.telesurtv.net/news/puert...1004-0031.html

Puerto Rico records first death from leptospirosis after Fiona
"We make an urgent call for them to use gloves, safety glasses and closed shoes and consume bottled water," said the head of Health, Carlos Mellado.
"We make an urgent call for them to use gloves, safety glasses and closed shoes and consume bottled water," said the head of Health, Carlos Mellado. | Photo: EFE
Published 4 October 2022

According to experts, 182 cases of leptospirosis have been reported on the island during 2022.

Authorities in Puerto Rico confirmed this Tuesday the first case of leptospirosis and the first suspicious death from this disease after the devastation of various territories of that Caribbean island by the passage of Hurricane Fiona last September.

The Department of Health confirmed that the first suspicious death corresponds to an 85-year-old man from the Ponce region, while the first confirmed case is a 30-year-old man from the Metro region. The latter affected began to show symptoms on September 21.

On the other hand, the head of Health, Carlos Mellado, reported last Thursday that the number of suspected cases of leptospirosis increased to 72 in the nation.

"We make an urgent call for them to use gloves, safety glasses and closed shoes and consume bottled water," said the head of the health portfolio.

According to experts, 182 cases of leptospirosis have been reported on the island during 2022 and an increase in suspected patients is observed in the month of September, after the passage of Hurricane Fiona on the 18th.

These data exceed the 115 suspected cases presented by the health institution in 2017, when Hurricane Maria swept through. In this context, most of the suspected cases registered after Fiona have been men with an average age of 44 years.

Early symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, muscle aches, red eyes, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, jaundice, rash, and cough.

In addition to causing severe flooding, Fiona affected numerous drinking water supply networks in Puerto Rico, which caused a group of people to turn to water sources that were not suitable for consumption and that may have been contaminated by animals carrying the disease. .

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Source: https://www.telesurtv.net/news/puert...1010-0032.html

Puerto Rico investigates three deaths from leptospirosis after Fiona
Published October 10, 2022 (19 hours 30 minutes ago)

The Puerto Rico Department of Health confirmed this Monday that the death of three people from leptospirosis is being investigated, a fact that is linked to the unhealthiness of the affected territories after the passage of Hurricane Fiona.

“For epidemiological week 40, nine cases were received, of which two were probable and seven suspected cases. Currently, three cases of deaths are under investigation," the health report stressed.

The institution also listed the cases under investigation: “one confirmed case in the Arecibo health region (76-year-old man); a probable case from the Ponce region (77-year-old citizen) and another suspected case in the same region, an 85-year-old man.

Meanwhile, 160 leptospirosis alerts have been taken into account in the territory according to the health institution, which refers "that these are distributed in four (4) confirmed cases, twenty (20) probable cases, eighty-four (84 ) suspected cases and fifty-two (52) people remain under investigation.”

The Department insisted that for the epidemiological weeks after Hurricane Fiona (38, 39, and 40) 108 cases were reported in 38 municipalities of all health regions, among which the highest total cases reported were Caguas and Metropolitana, with 27 cases each.

The municipalities with the highest number of total cases reported were Mayagüez (11) and San Juan (11), and the one with the highest number of confirmed and probable cases was Caguas, with four patients with the disease.

During the year 2022, a total of 226 cases of leptospirosis have been reported in Puerto Rico. “So far, 14 deaths have been reported. In Puerto Rico, leptospirosis is more common in men than in women, since almost three out of four cases are men. An increase in cases is observed for the months of September and October, compared to the rest of the months, ”said the health entity.

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Source: https://www.metro.pr/noticias/2022/1...paso-de-fiona/

Deaths associated with leptospirosis rise to three after the passage of Fiona
While a fourth case remains a suspect after the man did not undergo laboratory tests, according to the Department of Health
By Metro Puerto Rico
October 23, 2022 at 11:49 a.m.

The Department of Health reported that three people have already died of leptospirosis, as confirmed by laboratory tests, while another death is listed as suspicious, as detailed in the most recent special disease surveillance bulletin, after Hurricane Fiona passed through the Island.

According to the report of last October 17, Health has received a total of 261 alerts for leptospirosis. These are distributed in 11 confirmed cases, 24 probable cases, 174 suspected cases and 52 people remain under investigation.

The document details that one of the confirmed deaths is that of a 62-year-old man whose risk factor was exposure to potentially contaminated post-hurricane soil. A PCR was positive. The death occurred in October.

Also during this month, another 76-year-old man from the Arecibo region died. The report details that the risk factor was the land clearing after Hurricane Fiona. Likewise, the PCR was positive.

Another case of a man was reported in Ponce. He was 77 years old. The risk factor was exposure to contaminated soil or water. The PCR was similarly positive.

Meanwhile, Salud is also investigating a suspected case in the Ponce health region. The man was 85 years old. The risk factor identified was contact with animals. However, the man did not undergo a laboratory test. The man passed away in September.

For this period, 209 cases were reported in 51 municipalities of all health regions. The Health Region with the most total cases reported was Caguas, while the municipalities with the highest number of confirmed and probable cases were Caguas and Utuado.

During the year 2022, a total of 344 cases of leptospirosis have been reported in Puerto Rico. So far, 14 deaths have been reported. In Puerto Rico, leptospirosis is more common in men than in women. An increase in cases is observed for the months of September and October, compared to the rest of the months...