Leptosprosis meeting conducted through online platform

Jakarta,  —

Indonesia is a leptospirosis hotspot reporting up to 800 cases per year, but this is probably hugely under reporting the actual situation. Leptospirosis has its primary reservoir in rats but also other wildlife and domestic animals, like cattle, pigs and dogs can be a reservoir. Leptospirosis (also called Weil’s disease) is spread through rat or other reservoir animals urine and can enter the human body through small cuts in the skin or through the eyes, nose, and mouth. Symptoms include high fever, severe headaches, muscle pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. Both the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture have included leptospirosis as one of their  priority zoonosis.

 FAO Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) in partnership with the Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health Services Ministry of Agriculture (DGLAHS MoA) has been creating an effective program to detect, prevent and control the spread of leptospirosis. With funding support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Indonesia, FAO ECTAD and DGLAHS MoA facilitated a 2-day virtual workshop with cross-sectoral experts to map the risk of leptospirosis in Indonesia.

 During this workshop, leptospirosis experts from government, medical, research, and educational institutions identified the interdependent risk factors of the zoonotic disease in animals, human, and environment. For further weighting,  a multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) approach will be used to provide a One Health perspective into a risk map.

 Representing the Director of Prevention and Control of Vector-borne and Zoonotic Diseases Ministry of Health (P2PTVZ MoH), dr. Siti Ganefa, recognized that as a tropical country, Indonesia bears a high burden of leptospirosis, considering the high humidity and number of rodents’ population, the primary reservoir hosts of leptospira.

 “Annually, there are 798 of reported leptospirosis cases, with 106 deaths. Last year [2019], there were 920 recorded cases, with 122 deaths and CFR of 13.3 percent. As of August this year, 647 cases of leptospirosis have been recorded, with 67 deaths. Taking into consideration that Indonesia is entering the rainy season, it is highly possible that the number of cases and deaths will rise,” said Siti.

 The Director of Animal Health Ministry of Agriculture drh. Fadjar Sumping Tjatur Rasa, PhD remarked that while animals are the main reservoir for leptospirosis infection in humans, the cases in animals are rarely reported due to misdiagnosis.

 “From joint [cross-sectoral animal and human health] investigation in Boyolali regency, we found a high number of cases of positive antibody reaction to Leptospira. This is in line with our findings in other regions, like in Klaten where there were reported abortus cases in cowsnegative for brucellosis, but positive for leptospirosis,” the animal health director said.

 FAO ECTAD Team Leader Luuk Schoonman shared that the cross-sectoral risk mapping event aimed at gathering information on important risk factors so that it can promote effective leptospirosis detection and prevention programs.

 “Hopefully this event can increase the understanding, collaboration, and integration of programs across sectors, particularly in the prevention and control of leptospirosis and become a good starting point for future cooperation to create a risk maps for other zoonotic diseases using One Health approach,” said Luuk.