According to the Regional Health Agency (ARS) Occitanie, several cases of leptospirosis concerning people practicing canyoning have been reported in Ariège. Also called “rat disease”, this bacterial infection is mainly transmitted through the urine of rodents.
- The ARS Occitanie has identified in Ariège a dozen proven or probable cases of leptospirosis, a bacterial infection transmitted by the urine of rodents, and in particular rats.
- 600 cases of leptospirosis are recorded each year in metropolitan France.
- After an incubation period of ten days, flu-like symptoms appear. In the most severe cases, leptospirosis can progress to kidney, liver, meningeal or lung damage, and lead to death.
Swimmers and lovers of nautical activities, pay attention to the waters in which you bathe… a statement dated Friday, September 10, the Regional Health Agency (ARS) Occitanie reports that several cases of leptospirosis have been reported in people who have practiced canyoning activities on the Argensou river at Auzat and Vicdessos in Ariège.
If the ARS splits a press release, it is because leptospirosis is far from being a benign disease. In 2018, a triathlete residing in Libourne in Gironde even died after contracting this bacterial infection transmitted by the urine of rodents, and in particular rats.
600 people affected each year in France
However, leptospirosis is not only transmissible by rodents, wild and domestic animals can also be carriers of the pathogenic bacteria that cause it. This is the case in this case Leptospira interrogans, which persist in fresh water and muddy soils. The seasonality of the disease is very marked, with an upsurge during summer and autumn linked to heat and rainfall.
According to the Pasteur Institute, leptospirosis is a disease with worldwide distribution, predominantly tropical. In metropolitan France, it affects approximately 600 people each year. Certain professions (farmers, breeders, sewer workers, garbage collectors, etc.) and people practicing water sports (swimming, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, hunting, canyoning, etc.) are particularly at risk. A vaccine against the type of bacteria is also offered to certain professionals such as sewer workers or veterinarians.
What are the symptoms of leptospirosis?
In humans, the bacterium penetrates mainly through injured skin or mucous membranes. In its moderate form, leptospirosis “begins with a high fever with chills, headaches, muscle aches and diffuse joint pain. It can progress to kidney, liver, meningeal or lung damage”details Pasteur Institute. It can also lead to death in 5 to 20% of cases. The most serious forms can also lead to bleeding or jaundice.
Hence the importance of consulting quickly in the event of the appearance of symptoms. According to ARS Occitanie, the disease appears suddenly after a first incubation phase of about ten days on average (5 to 20 days).
“People with symptoms compatible with leptospirosis if they have been in contact with fresh water (lake, river, well, ditch, washhouse, etc.) in the 3 weeks preceding the onset of the signs, in particular during their activities activities on this site (canyoning, swimming, fishing, canoeing, etc.), are invited to quickly consult their attending physician, specifying the context at risk.In this case, the prescription of a targeted antibiotic treatment and the biological confirmation of infection will be necessary”writes the ARS, which specifies that to date, a dozen confirmed or probable cases have already been identified.
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