The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued a health advisory, saying there were 24 reported cases of human leptospirosis in the city in 2023 — which is the highest number in a single year.
Human leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira, according to NYC’s health department. The health department says infected animals — like rats — excrete the bacteria through their urine, which can survive in warm, moist environments for weeks. The disease can be transmitted to people coming in direct contact with the urine — or urine-contaminated soil, water or food. The average number of cases per year in NYC was about 15 between 2021 and 2023.
Symptoms of human leptospirosis include high fever, headache, chills, aches, vomiting, jaundice, diarrhea, stomach pain and rash, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Leptospirosis may occur in two phases, where a person with symptoms such as a headache, chills and fever may recover and then become ill again, the CDC says. If the person does become sick again, the second phase is usually more severe, where they may develop kidney or liver failure, or meningitis.
Should a person develop leptospirosis in NYC, they must report it to the city's health department, per the city’s health code.Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com
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