DISTRIBUTION OF LEPTOSPIROSIS AND ITS ASSOCIATED FACTORS IN KEGALLE DISTRICT DURING (2014-2019) - Dr. S.N.Mapitigama
Abstract
Introduction
As Kegalle district has a favourable climate for transmission of Leptospirosis and agriculture-based economy it is important to analyse the distribution of Leptospirosis in Kegalle district. Farmers being a common occupational risk group, it is imperative to assess and improve their knowledge on Leptospirosis in order to control and prevent the transmission of the disease.
Objective
To describe the distribution of Leptospirosis and its associated factors in the district of Kegalle during 2014-2019
To assess the knowledge of farmers regarding Leptospirosis
Methods
Component 1: A descriptive cross-sectional study of all the reported leptospirosis cases to the RDHS office in Kegalle district during 2014-2019
Component 2 : A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge and practices on Leptospirosis of 270 farmers in three MOH areas in Kegalle District (Warakapola, Rambukkana, Galigamuwa) A descriptive cross sectional study was performed.
Results
The major proportion of the Leptospirosis patients reported to RDHs office, Kegalle belonged to the age group of 50 to 59 years (22.2%) and was male (82.5%). Majority of the reported patients (21.2%) were labourers while farmers (12.4%) and the paddy field was the major source of infection (43.9%).
Majority of the respondents to the self-administrated questionnaire (24.4%) were in the age category of 46 - 55 years. A majority of male (63.8%) and female(61.3%) respondents had a poor knowledge on Leptospirosis. Only 86 (31.9%) respondents had heard about the prophylaxis antibiotic given to prevent rat fever and only 22.2% had used it.
Majority of the respondents who had unsatisfactory practices belong to the age group of below 25 years (23.5%) while the majority of the respondents who had satisfactory practices belong to the age group of 46 to 55 years (26.5%)
Conclusion
As the age group of 50-59 and male population were mostly affected by Leptospirosis while labourers and farmers were commonest occupational risk groups for Leptospirosis, awareness and controlling programmes of Leptospirosis can be targeted more on those groups.
Majority of the farmers had poor knowledge on Leptospirosis and low percentage of farmers had used prophylactic antibiotics. Therefore, strategies should be implemented to improve their knowledge as well as to improve the distribution of prophylaxis antibiotics among farmers.