9-year-old is Mumbai’s first leptospirosis death this monsoon

A nine-year-old girl from LT Marg Chowk succumbed to suspected leptospirosis infection on June 25 at Lokmanya Tilak General Hospital, also known as Sion hospital

A nine-year-old girl from LT Marg Chowk succumbed to suspected leptospirosis infection on June 25 at Lokmanya Tilak General Hospital, also known as Sion hospital. This is the city’s first fatality suspected to be related to leptospirosis this monsoon.

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The girl was rushed to Sion hospital on June 24 with complaints of vomiting, abdominal pain and high fever. Within 24 hours, she succumbed at the hospital.

According to data from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), till June 20, a total of eight cases of leptospirosis have been reported in the city, higher than the past two years in the same month. Last year in June, only one leptospirosis case was reported and in the year before, five. This year, till June 20, a total 52 leptospirosis cases have been reported.

Leptospirosis is a common infection during the monsoon. Caused by a form of bacteria called spirochete, leptospirosis occurs when humans come in direct contact with urine from infected animals, especially rodents, or through water, soil or food contaminated with infected urine in settings of poor sanitation habits. Areas that are prone to flooding and waterlogging during monsoon become the source of infection.

As per the nine-year-old’s treating doctor at the hospital, she had been showing symptoms of leptospirosis for three-four days but by the time she was admitted to the hospital, her health had deteriorated. “With leptospirosis, her cause of death also includes massive pulmonary bleed (MPB), which means bleeding in lungs. She also had acute respiratory distress. Her condition deteriorated within a few hours of admission,” said the doctor.

With the advancement of the monsoon in parts of Maharashtra, Mumbai recorded heavy rainfall in the first week of June. According to doctors at the hospital, the nine-year-old got exposed to the infection when she travelled outside in the rain in areas with waterlogging. The girl’s case papers have been sent to the death review committee of epidemiology cell, BMC, for investigation.

On January 21, the hospital registered its first death related to leptospirosis of the year when an eight-year-old girl died. “Recently, the city has witnessed heavy rain and with the relaxation of the lockdown, many people are travelling outside which might have contributed to the rise of leptospirosis cases,” said Suresh Kakani, additional commissioner, BMC.

In the second week of June, after heavy rain, BMC issued an advisory asking people to be cautious if they have walked through contaminated water during monsoon or after heavy rain. Citizens have been requested to take prophylactic treatment for leptospirosis within 72 hours of getting exposed to rain.

“All private practitioners are hereby requested to start doxycycline course for all fever patients during monsoon season. Early treatment with doxycycline prevents organ involvement and other complications thereby preventing deaths due to leptospirosis,” said Kakani.