In 2018, a total of 5,257 rat fever patients were reported from all parts of the country. The highest number (777) was reported from the Ratnapura district. The month with the highest number (958) is November.Vulnerable people such as farmers, persons who clean drains, persons who work in mines, marsh lands, canals and persons who swim or play in contaminated water should contact the nearest PHI or MOH office and obtain Doxycycline tablets, which is issued free and they should take two tablets before they start work.
They should drink plenty of water while working. The tablets give around 90 percent protection for a period of one week. Then they should take two tablets again, until they finish their work, the sources said.The main symptoms of rat fever are abrupt onset of high fever, mild flu, chills, conjunctival suffusion, muscle tenderness (notable in the calf and lumber areas), intense headache, jaundice and decrease in passing urine. It is very important to seek medical treatment as early as possible from a government hospital.
The disease can be cured if medical treatment is obtained on time, but it is difficult to save the life of a patient who seeks medical treatment when the disease progresses to a stage where renal failure, heart failure and other symptoms appear, the sources said.
