[Causes of leptospirosis morbidity in Krasnodar region]

The situation in leptospirosis morbidity in the Krasnodar Territory has been analyzed. The tendency towards a decrease in the number of water outbreaks and a growth in the number of sporadic cases has been noted. Antibodies to Leptospira ictrohaemorrhagiae, whose natural carriers are gray rats, are most often detected in the blood of patients. Among leptospirosis patients, persons engaged in fishing, work on plots of land adjoining their summer cottages, dog breeding are mostly registered. The detailed characterization of the outbreak of 1997, an outstanding outbreak among those observed in recent years, is given. This outbreak was caused by abundant precipitations and the subsequent flooding of vast areas, a growth in the number of Leptospira-infected rodents. In this connection attention is drawn to the necessity of greater efforts in carrying out deratization, as well as sanitary and veterinarian measures.