Cluster of farmworkers diagnosed with rare animal-borne disease in Ventura County

A clump of workers astatine Ventura County berry farms person been diagnosed with a uncommon illness often transmitted done sick animals’ urine, according to a public wellness advisory distributed to section doctors by region wellness officials Tuesday.

The bacterial infection, leptospirosis, has resulted successful terrible symptoms for immoderate workers, including meningitis, an inflammation of the encephalon lining and spinal cord. Symptoms for mild cases included headaches and fevers.

The disease, which tin beryllium fatal, seldom spreads from quality to human, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Ventura County Public Health has not fixed an authoritative lawsuit number but said it had not identified immoderate cases extracurricular of the agriculture sector. The county’s agriculture commissioner was alert of 18 cases, the Ventura County Star reported.

The wellness section said it was archetypal contacted by a section doc successful October, who reported an antithetic inclination successful symptoms among infirmary patients.

After launching an investigation, the section identified leptospirosis arsenic a probable origin of the unwellness and recovered astir patients worked connected caneberry farms that utilize hoop houses — greenhouse structures to structure the crops.

As the probe to place immoderate further cases and the nonstop sources of vulnerability continues, Ventura County Public Health has asked healthcare providers to see a leptospirosis diagnosis for sick cultivation workers, peculiarly berry harvesters.

Rodents are a communal root and transmitter of disease, though different mammals — including livestock, cats and dogs — tin transmit it arsenic well.

The illness is dispersed done bodily fluids, specified arsenic urine, and is often contracted done cuts and abrasions that interaction contaminated h2o and soil, wherever the bacteria tin past for months.

Humans tin besides declaration the unwellness done contaminated food; however, the region wellness bureau has recovered nary known wellness risks to the wide public, including done the interaction oregon depletion of caneberries specified arsenic raspberries and blackberries.

Symptom onset typically occurs betwixt 2 and 30 days aft exposure, and symptoms tin past for months if untreated, according to the CDC.

The unwellness often begins with mild symptoms, with fevers, chills, vomiting and headaches. Some cases tin past participate a second, much terrible signifier that tin effect successful kidney oregon liver failure.

Ventura County Public Health recommends agriculture and berry harvesters regularly rinse immoderate cuts with soap and h2o and screen them with bandages. They besides urge wearing waterproof covering and extortion portion moving outdoors, including gloves and long-sleeve shirts and pants.

While determination is nary grounds of dispersed to the larger community, according to the department, residents should lavation hands often and enactment to power rodents astir their spot if possible.

Pet owners tin consult a veterinarian astir leptospirosis vaccinations and should support pets distant from ponds, lakes and different earthy bodies of water.