Kerala floods | alert sounded against leptospirosis outbreak

Doxycycline tablets to be distributed to those required

October 19, 2021 06:25 am | Updated 06:25 am IST - Thiruvananthapuram

Passengers are evacuated from a KSRTC bus which got stuck in the flash floods at Poonjar in Kerala’s Kottayam district following heavy rain on October 16, 2021.

Passengers are evacuated from a KSRTC bus which got stuck in the flash floods at Poonjar in Kerala’s Kottayam district following heavy rain on October 16, 2021.

The Health Department has issued an alert against leptospirosis outbreaks as rain and related floods are likely to continue in the State in the days to come.

Medicine recommended

Leptospirosis outbreaks are highly likely in flood-affected or waterlogged regions. People affected by floods, volunteers and rescue workers who come into contact with contaminated waters should compulsorily consume doxycycline tablets that will be distributed by health workers, Health Minister Veena George said on Monday.

If not treated in the early stages, leptospirosis can become fatal.

Doxycycline is made available free of cost through all Government hospitals, and 200 mg of the drug should be consumed once a week for six weeks as prophylaxis.

Protective gear

The Health Department has also suggested that people and volunteers engaged in cleaning activities in the aftermath of floods wear protective footwear and gloves to prevent infections

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.