Abstract:
Background: Leptospirosis is a deadly disease transmitted through water. This can be transmitted
to the man directly through a skin lesion, a cut, mucous membranes or through a wound. A
noticeable increment of deaths has been reported during the past years especially in Southern
province, Sri Lanka according to the previous statistics.
Objectives: To identify the exposure status and risk activities of leptospirosis patients admitted to
the secondary and tertiary level government hospitals in Southern province
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional, multi-centered study was carried out in secondary and
tertiary level government hospitals in Southern province (11 hospitals), Sri Lanka. Convenient
sampling method was used to recruit study participants. Inward patients managed and diagnosed
as leptospirosis, currently resident in Hambantota, Matara, Galle districts, and above 14 years of
age were included. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was administered to collect data.
Descriptive statistics and Chi-squared test were used to analyse data.
Results: In total 211 patients diagnosed with leptospirosis were reported. Mean age (±SD) of the
sample was 43.7(±15.66) and majority was male predominantly. Most of the participants did not
engage in any formal employment (unemployed) 41(19.4%). A considerable number of
participants were engaged in paddy farming (n=37, 17.5 %) and manual labourer work (n=22,
10.4%). The most possible exposure was "walking on wet soil/mud/marshy land" without
footwear (58.3%) and also, a significant number of patients (n=44, 20.9%) was exposed to flood.
The highest risky activity identified among the sample was part time paddy farming (n=75,
35.5%) as a place where leptospirosis transmission occurs. Also engaged in part time cinnamon
cultivation was a significant risk activity (n=31, 14.7%). According to the results, there is no
statistically proven association (p>0.05) between clinical presentation and possible exposures .
Conclusions: Engaged in part time paddy farming and expose to flood were identified as high-risk
activities and walking on wet/ soil/ marshy lands without protective boots is the riskiest exposure.
Proper awareness targeting risk exposure groups is recommended to prevent the disease specially
in high-risk areas.
Keywords: Exposure status, Leptospirosis, Risky activities, Sri Lanka
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