A Large Leptospirosis Outbreak following Successive Severe Floods in Fiji, 2012
Eri Togamia, Mike Kamab c, Cyrille Goarantd e, Scott B. Craigf g, Colleen L. Laud e, Jana M. Ritterc, Allison A. Imrieh, Albert Icksang Koa, Eric James Nillesh i
- aDepartment of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut
- bCenter for Communicable Disease Control, Ministry of Health, Suva, Fiji
- cInfectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
- dLeptospirosis Unit, Institut Pasteur in New Caledonia, Noumea, New Caledonia
- eResearch School of Population Health, Australia National University, Canberra, Australia
- fForensic and Scientific Service, WHO Leptospirosis Laboratory, Brisbane, Australia
- gSchool of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
- hSchool of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
- iDivision of Pacific Technical Support, World Health Organization, Suva, Fiji
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Abstract
Severe flooding has been linked to outbreaks of leptospirosis. Two sequential extreme flood events in Western Fiji caused the largest outbreak of leptospirosis recorded in the South Pacific, with 1,217 total suspected cases, of which 314 were probable and confirmed. Most (83%) cases occurred within 6 weeks of the flood events, displaying a biphasic epidemic curve associated with the floods. Given the temporal proximity of cases to flooding events, most of the transmission appeared to occur during or immediately after the floods; therefore, prevention of exposure to contaminated environments is a priority in the immediate flood and post-flood period. In addition, genotyping studies suggest that multiple animal reservoirs were implicated in the outbreak, reaffirming the importance of integrated human and animal health strategies for leptospirosis control.
TL;DRGenotyping studies suggest that multiple animal reservoirs were implicated in the outbreak in Western Fiji, reaffirming the importance of integrated human and animal health strategies for leptospirosis control. (Semantic Scholar)