"Veterinarians found leptospirosis in two dogs within the encampment around Eighth and Harrison streets, both in November, one of which died, and later detected the illness in rats for the first time in five years in Alameda County. As of the Jan. 12 announcement there were no known human cases. City officials did not respond to Berkeleyside's inquiries, sent Thursday, as"
"According to the CDC there are only about 1 million human cases of leptospirosis a year, most of those in developing countries and primarily in tropical climates, since the bacterium thrives in wet environments. Of those cases about 60,000 end up becoming fatal. In 90%of cases, humans and animals recover without any treatment, according to a study in the National Library of Medicine."
A leptospirosis outbreak was detected in and around a longstanding Northwest Berkeley homeless encampment near Eighth and Harrison streets. Veterinarians diagnosed the disease in two dogs there in November, one of which died, and later trapping found infected rats for the first time in five years in Alameda County. As of Jan. 12 there were no known human cases. County officials are monitoring the area, trapping rats, and providing support to encampment residents; city officials had not responded to inquiries. Leptospirosis is a bacterial pathogen that is treatable with antibiotics, has animal vaccines, and can cause severe organ failure if untreated.
Read at www.berkeleyside.org
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