A mystery “nosebleed” outbreak which killed at least three people in Tanzania has been diagnosed as leptospirosis or “rat fever”, according to the government.
Last week, authorities scrambled a team of doctors and experts to find out what was behind a wave of unexplained infections in the southeastern region of Lindi. The victim’s symptoms included fever, headaches, fatigue and worryingly, nosebleeds.
When the patients tested negative for Ebola and Marburg virus, there were fears that a new viral haemorrhagic fever could be spreading through the populous east African nation.
But on Monday, the Tanzanian government said the victims were positive for leptospirosis.
The bacterial disease can affect humans and animals, leading to liver failure, kidney damage, meningitis and death. It is known locally as rat fever or field fever, but in the UK is more commonly called Weil's Disease.
While leptospirosis can have a 15 per cent fatality rate in some severe cases, it is known and treatable. Ummy Mwalimu, the health mMinister, who visited the area, urged people to stay calm and said that the diagnosis was a “good thing” as the disease was “preventable and curable”.
About twenty people have been confirmed as being infected. Two people remain in isolation, according to the minister.
Leptospirosis spreads through infected animals, including rats, which can contaminate water with their urine. Part of the problem with treating the disease is its wide range of symptoms that can be mistaken for another illness. Nosebleeds are not generally common.
First Marburg outbreak confirmed in Ghana
The leptospirosis outbreak comes after Ghana officially confirmed two cases of the Marburg virus, an Ebola-like disease with a death rate of up to 88 per cent, for the first time on Sunday.
Both patients died earlier in the month, raising fears that there has been broader transmission. Health officials in the west African nation say 98 people are now under quarantine as suspected contacts.
The outbreaks underscore an alarming trend in Africa. According to a WHO analysis released last week, the number of zoonotic outbreaks in the previous ten years has risen by more than 60 per cent when compared to the previous decade.
There was a substantial spike in 2019 and 2020 when half of public health threats were caused by zoonosis – diseases which have jumped from animals to humans.
“Infections originating in animals and then jumping to humans have been happening for centuries, but the risk of mass infections and deaths had been relatively limited in Africa – poor transport infrastructure acted as a natural barrier,” Dr Matshidiso Moeti, head of the WHO's Africa office, said last week.
“However, with improved transportation in Africa, there is an increased threat of zoonotic pathogens travelling to large urban centres. We must act now to contain zoonotic diseases before they can cause widespread infections and stop Africa from becoming a hotspot for emerging infectious diseases.”
Leptospirosis is very rare in the UK, and it is unlikely someone would catch it from pets or animal bites.
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