Health and Me

Rachel V Thomas

Punjab Leptospirosis Outbreak: 36 Test Positive, 19 Children Hospitalized

Punjab is grappling with an outbreak of leptospirosis, a rare bacterial disease, with 36 confirmed cases, including 19 children who have been hospitalized.

The outbreak is part of a larger water‑borne infection that has affected 110 people so far in Hazara Singh Wala, a border village in Ferozepur district. The hospitalized children are receiving care at Ferozepur Civil Hospital and are reported to be stable, according to media reports.

Leptospirosis spreads to humans through contact with the urine of infected animals such as dogs and rats. The disease previously made headlines in 2024 when Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was hospitalized after contracting it.

The state health department reports that the outbreak is affecting mainly children and young people aged 3-25, with nearly 90 of the 110 symptomatic patients being minors, most of whom are school-going children, the Indian Express reported. Commonly reported symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, and jaundice.

Alarm was heightened in the district following the death of 12-year-old Sehaj Kaur from suspected Hepatitis E on February 24.

Investigations revealed that contaminated water, including rodent droppings and dead pigeons, contributed to the outbreak, causing widespread concern among villagers.

Media reports stated that health officials in the states are taking steps to prevent further spread of the outbreak. They are conducting house-to-house screenings, distributing chlorine tablets and oral rehydration solutions, as well as repairing water supply lines to contain the outbreak.

Leptospirosis is usually a disease of animals like dogs, mostly rats, and some farm animals. It has also been reported in pigs, zebras, and horses. 

It mainly spreads via contamination or through direct contact with loosely available food items or water infected with rat urine. 

<ul><li>very high temperature </li><li>headache </li><li>muscular pains </li><li>vomiting </li><li>diarrhea </li><li>yellow or brown patches in the eye, </li><li>abdomen pain</li></ul>

While the disease is usually self-limiting and treatable with antibiotics, in severe cases it can spread to the kidney, brain, spinal cord, and liver and lead to death. It can also cause pulmonary haemorrhage, leading to respiratory failure and death. 

The neglected zoonotic disease is endemic to India due to a tropical climate that complements the transmission of infection. 

The first disease outbreak was reported in the 1920s in the Andaman Islands. 

As per the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), India is expected to report 0.1-1.0 million cases per year, but less than 10,000 cases are reported.

Only four states, i.e., Kerala, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra, report more than 500 cases per year as per IDSP Disease Alert. 

Andaman, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Goa, Delhi, Karnataka, Odisha, Puducherry, and Uttar Pradesh also report cases. 

Due to a lack of awareness of the disease and a lack of suitable laboratory diagnostic capabilities in most regions of the country, leptospirosis has been under-reported and under-diagnosed in India. 

Health Conditions A-Z

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national centre for disease control

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Punjab is grappling with an outbreak of leptospirosis, a rare bacterial disease, with 36 confirmed cases, including 19 children who have been hospitalized.The outbreak is part of a larger water‑borne infection that has affected 110 people so far in Hazara Singh Wala, a border village in Ferozepur district. The hospitalized children are receiving care at Ferozepur Civil Hospital and are reported to be stable, according to media reports.Leptospirosis spreads to humans through contact with the urine of infected animals such as dogs and rats. The disease previously made headlines in 2024 when Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was hospitalized after contracting it.The state health department reports that the outbreak is affecting mainly children and young people aged 3-25, with nearly 90 of the 110 symptomatic patients being minors, most of whom are school-going children, the Indian Express reported. Commonly reported symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, and jaundice.Alarm was heightened in the district following the death of 12-year-old Sehaj Kaur from suspected Hepatitis E on February 24. Investigations revealed that contaminated water, including rodent droppings and dead pigeons, contributed to the outbreak, causing widespread concern among villagers.Media reports stated that health officials in the states are taking steps to prevent further spread of the outbreak. They are conducting house-to-house screenings, distributing chlorine tablets and oral rehydration solutions, as well as repairing water supply lines to contain the outbreak.What Is Leptospirosis Leptospirosis is usually a disease of animals like dogs, mostly rats, and some farm animals. It has also been reported in pigs, zebras, and horses. It mainly spreads via contamination or through direct contact with loosely available food items or water infected with rat urine. Common symptoms include: very high temperature headache muscular pains vomiting diarrhea yellow or brown patches in the eye, abdomen painWhile the disease is usually self-limiting and treatable with antibiotics, in severe cases it can spread to the kidney, brain, spinal cord, and liver and lead to death. It can also cause pulmonary haemorrhage, leading to respiratory failure and death.  Leptospirosis In India: The neglected zoonotic disease is endemic to India due to a tropical climate that complements the transmission of infection. The first disease outbreak was reported in the 1920s in the Andaman Islands. As per the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), India is expected to report 0.1-1.0 million cases per year, but less than 10,000 cases are reported. Only four states, i.e., Kerala, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra, report more than 500 cases per year as per IDSP Disease Alert. Andaman, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Goa, Delhi, Karnataka, Odisha, Puducherry, and Uttar Pradesh also report cases. Due to a lack of awareness of the disease and a lack of suitable laboratory diagnostic capabilities in most regions of the country, leptospirosis has been under-reported and under-diagnosed in India. 