Death due to rat fever creates panic in Bantwal

Bantwal, 23 Aug 2012: Its rush hour at the Bantwal Government Hospital. The death of two persons from Bantwal taluk a week back has triggered panic reactions from the villagers.

 

They are queuing up at the hospital in droves and its no exaggeration if one looks at the numbers. While 451 people with fever queued up at the hospital on Wednesday, their numbers were little lees - but significant at 350 on Thursday. The hospital gets an average footfall of 200-250 per day during normal days.

 

Dr Radhika K, in charge of the hospital told that the two deaths may have created a scare and people even with mild fever are coming to the hospital. We do not send all patients for the leptospirosis (rat fever) test. We check the symptoms and if the fever has been persisting for more than three to four days, we send them for blood tests. In case of really serious cases, where we suspect rat fever, we recommend the test.

 

On Wednesday two patients underwent the rapid test and both were negative. On Thursday, four patients were referred for the rat fever test, they too were negative. It is but common to see panic reaction among people when something like this happens. We have given most of them Doxycycline as prophylaxis.

 

Doxcycline is a Tetracycline Antibiotic that kills or stops the multiplication of certain infection-causing bacterias in human body.

 

The hospital has 50 test kits for rat fever. Dr Radhika said the supply is sufficient, if we fall short more will be supplied from the District Surveillance laboratory at Mangalore.

 

Gopala from Bhandarabettu, who visited the hospital out of scare, was relived as his test for rat fever turned negative, but was diagnosed as having malaria. I was really scared. Better to be safe than repent later,’’ he said. Gopala had persistent fever from past four days.

 

A week back, two youth including a teenager from Pararai area of B Muda village under Panjikallu health centre jurisdiction in Bantwal taluk succumbed to leptospirosis (rat fever). While Deepak, 22, elder son of Seetharam Poojary succumbed to the disease on August 16, his younger son Praveen, 17, died on Monday, according to district health and family welfare officer OR Srirangappa stated here. Later Seetharam and Praveen who too developed fever were admitted to KMC Attavar for treatment on August 18. The doctors discharged Praveen as his medical test reports for leptospirosis turned out negative. However, he was again admitted to KMC Hospital a day later. Praveen succumbed to the disease on Monday, while his father is recovering.