Abstract
Purpose: In order to better understand contributing factors to the high incidence rate of leptospirosis in Ukraine, this study was designed to analyze the seasonality, and how it is associated with severity and case fatality rate of the diseases. Methods & Materials: We performed a retrospective analysis of 395 case studies of patients with leptospirosis that had been treated in Lviv Oblast Hospital for Infectious Disease during 2002-2016. Diagnosis was confirmed using the microagglutination test. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher test. Results: The majority of cases (318; 80.5%) were recorded during the summer and autumn. The highest number of cases was registered in August – 97 (24.6%) that is significantly higher than the numbers in other months (p < 0.05). In September, 62 (15.7%) patients with leptospirosis were admitted to the hospital; in October – 73 (18.5%); in November – 33 (8.4%). During 6 months of the winter and spring, only 77 (19.5%) admissions were reported, which is significantly lower than during June-November (p < 0.01). In other months, 8 to 18 cases per month (2.0-4.6%) were registered. Among 395 patients, 362 (91.7%) recovered and 33 patients died; the case fatality rate was 8.3%. Comparing the number of recovered and fatal cases, the probable difference in seasons was recorded during the summer months (39.5% of recovered cases against 21.2% of fatal cases, p < 0.05). Conclusion: The highest number of leptospirosis cases was found during June-November with a peak in August. The number of patients who were hospitalized during these months is 4.1 times higher than the respective number in January-May (318 versus 97, p < 0.01). Taking into account the highest incidence rate of leptospirosis that was reported during the summer and autumn, it is necessary to bring authorities’ attention to compliance with sanitary regulations for water reservoirs that are open for bathing during the summer and to provide agricultural workers with waterproof protective equipment.
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