SUPERBUG ALERT
Brit tourists warned over deadly ‘curly’ bacteria that causes victims to cough up blood and die spreading across Thailand
BRIT tourists heading to Thailand are being warned about a curly-shaped bacteria that causes victims to cough up blood and die.
Health officials in the south-east Asian country have sounded the warning about leptospirosis, which is also known as Weil’s disease.
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It is common in animal wee and is spread through water, entering the bloodstream via open wounds or scratches, prolonged exposure or just consuming infected water or food.
With the rainy season underway in Thailand, tourists have been told to avoid walking barefoot through puddles and wear watertight footwear in wet areas.
Symptoms range from muscle pains to coughing blood and liver failure causing yellow eyes and skin.
Other symptoms include an inability to urinate and exhaustion.
Leptospirosis is mostly prevalent in the northeast and south but also central region as well.
Sant Muangnoicharoen, an expert and doctor at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, in Bangkok, advised people to stay away from floods to avoid infection.
BAREFOOT WARNING
Anyone who walks through floodwater should immediately clean themselves afterwards, he told the news website.
"If a fever reaches high temperatures or a wound is infected, you should seek immediate medical attention," he said.
The disease is known as “disease of rat urine” in Thailand but it is also found in dogs, cats, cows, goats and sheep.
So far there have been eight deaths out of the more than 600 cases reported in Thailand.
Risky areas include markets, farms, gardens and houses.
Leptospirosis is found all over the world, including in the UK, but generally is more of a problem in hot places, like the tropics.
The disease killed double Olympic gold medal winning rower Andy Holmes, who is believed to have caught the disease from contact with dirty river water, in 2010.
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MOST READ IN NEWS
What is leptospirosis?
Leptospirosis is a potentially deadly bacterial disease that affects both humans and animals..
Also known as also known as Weil’s disease, it is found all over the world, including in the UK, but generally is more of a problem in hot places.
The bacteria enter the body through cuts and abrasions on the skin, through the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose and eyes but person-to-person transmission is rare.
In the early stages of the disease, symptoms include high fever, severe headache, muscle pain, chills, and redness of the eyes.
Those infected can also experience abdominal pain, jaundice, haemorrhages in the skin and mucous membranes, vomiting, diarrhoea, and rash.
Most cases of human leptospirosis are spread through rats' urine.
The best way to avoid the disease in the tropics is by wearing protective footwear while walking through water.
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The disease killed double Olympic gold medal winning rower Andy Holmes, left.
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