Title
A cluster of leptospirosis cases associated with crocodile workers in the Northern Territory, Australia, 2022
Author(s)
Nohrenberg, Michael
Hewitt, Thalia A
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonotic waterborne disease endemic in tropical and subtropical climates. Outbreaks have been observed in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia. We briefly described the epidemiology of leptospirosis in the NT between 2012 and 2022, and undertook an investigation of a cluster of three leptospirosis cases observed in crocodile workers between January and December 2022 in the Top End of the NT. A descriptive case series was conducted to investigate the cluster; all three cases were male and non-Aboriginal with a median age of 46.5 years; none took chemoprophylaxis; only one of the three cases reported wearing appropriate protective attire; all reported receiving limited to no education about personal protective measures from their associated workplaces. Higher than average rainfall in both February and December 2022 likely contributed to the increased risk of infection in those months. Changing climate patterns are likely to result in more frequent periods of heavy rain, and risk of contracting leptospirosis in the NT may increase, particularly for those who work in wet and muddy conditions. Promoting the use of protective workplace clothing and equipment, the use of waterproof dressings for skin abrasions, regular hand hygiene, and the consideration of chemoprophylaxis in certain circumstances may prevent future cases.
Publication information
Commun Dis Intell (2018) . 2023 Nov 16:47. doi: 10.33321/cdi.2023.47.70.
Publisher
Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
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Name
A Cluster of leptospirosis cases associated with crocodile workers in the Northern Territory, Australia, 2022
Description
Re-used under a Creative Commons Attribution License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Size
737.1 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum
(MD5):6b32af9ea46211b6c352b8411b10336f
Date Issued
2023-11-16
Type
Journal Article
Journal Title
Communicable diseases intelligence
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