Providing the population with drinking water of guaranteed quality remains an urgent task at any time of the year. The Main Department of the State Service for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection of Ukraine in the Kharkiv region, in order to raise awareness among the population and in accordance with the decision of the extraordinary meeting of the regional commission on technogenic and environmental safety and emergencies of the Kharkiv region dated January 16, 2025, recalls that the non-compliance of drinking water with hygienic requirements, together with other factors, may be the cause of an increase in the incidence of infectious diseases among the population, in particular leptospirosis. Moreover, cases of the disease have already been registered during 2025 in the Lviv and Poltava regions.
Almost the entire territory of Ukraine remains enzootic for leptospirosis. In recent years, there has been a tendency to increase the incidence rate. We remind you that leptospirosis is an acute natural focal zoonotic (common to humans and animals) infectious disease, which is accompanied by fever, general intoxication of the body, damage to the kidneys, liver, cardiovascular and nervous systems, hemorrhagic syndrome, etc. In terms of mortality and severity, leptospirosis ranks first in infectious pathology.
Murine rodents (rats, mice) are the main source of infection in nature, they infect domestic (cattle, pigs, dogs) and wild animals. In animals, the disease is often asymptomatic, in the form of long-term carriage, while the pathogen is excreted with urine into the external environment. In the environment, it is well preserved in moist places, water from open reservoirs, wells, moist food, etc.
How does a person become infected? Usually, people become infected with leptospirosis when swimming, fishing, especially in the summer, consuming water contaminated with leptospires, food products, especially those stored in cellars, while caring for sick animals. The entrance gates into the human body for leptospires are damaged skin (scratches, cracks) and mucous membranes (eyes, mouth, nose).
Particular attention should be paid to: persons working at livestock enterprises located in areas dangerous for leptospirosis; persons engaged in slaughtering sick livestock and processing carcasses of sick animals; persons working with live leptospirosis cultures; persons engaged in catching and keeping stray animals.
To prevent this disease, you should follow simple but necessary rules:
- do not drink unboiled water from open reservoirs or unverified sources - for drinking purposes, use only boiled water or bottled water from reliable sources;
- follow the rules of personal hygiene, wash your hands before eating;
- avoid swimming in bodies of water with standing water or those used for watering farm animals;
- protect sources of drinking water and food from rodent access;
- carry out regular measures to destroy rodents in residential premises and livestock areas;
- follow the rules of personal hygiene when caring for livestock - it is advisable to work in gloves, wash your hands regularly, and not eat or smoke while working;
- When working in the garden, be careful of injuries – use appropriate clothing and footwear, and protective gloves;
- Arrange the territories of settlements and your own estates, do not allow the establishment of unauthorized household waste dumps - breeding grounds for rodents.
Important! At the first signs of the disease, you should immediately consult a doctor. And, of course, in no case should you self-medicate!