Death highlights most commonly notified workplace

MEDIA RELEASE 03 May 2007

Leptospirosis death highlights most commonly notified workplace disease

The recently reported death of a meatworker from leptospirosis is a tragedy and reinforces the serious nature of this disease, which is still relatively common in this country, says New Zealand Veterinary Association chief executive Murray Gibb.

“Leptospirosis is the most commonly notified infectious disease acquired in the workplace in New Zealand, and it occurs more frequently here than in comparable developed countries,” says Mr Gibb.

“Meatworkers are the new occupational group showing up in the human leptospirosis statistics. In the past it was mainly dairy farmers who were affected but an extensive campaign in the 1980s to vaccinate dairy cattle and pigs brought the human disease incidence down,” says Mr Gibb.

However, it is not just cattle that carry leptospirosis. Infected deer, sheep and pigs pose a risk to people, and recent cases in meatworkers appear to have involved sheep. Contact with the urine from infected animals is how humans usually get infected.

“We know a lot about leptospirosis in cattle and pigs but there is still much to learn about the disease and how it spreads in sheep,” says Mr Gibb.

“Veterinarians at Massey University are actively researching in this area but there is a lack of funding to support the work. Until we know more about the particular strains of leptospirosis affecting sheep, how it spreads and under what conditions, we cannot work out how best to control it in the sheep population.”

Leptospirosis affects the kidneys and can have variable effects in people, ranging from a mild flu-like condition to renal failure requiring hospitalisation. Many sufferers take years to recover and a number of farmers have had to give up farming because of it.

“Death from leptospirosis is unusual but, as Mr Taewa’s case tragically shows, it can happen and emphasises the need for the disease to be taken seriously.”

The Veterinary Association runs a leptospirosis risk management programme for dairy farms jointly with the Livestock Improvement Corporation. The scheme, called Leptosure®, involves vaccination of all farm stock but goes much wider, involving identification and mitigation of all risk factors on the property and education of farm workers. Leptosure has operated for four years and is endorsed by the Occupational Safety and Health service of the Department of Labour.

Leptospirosis is classified as a significant hazard Under the Health and Safety in Employment Act, so employers have a legal obligation to take all practicable steps to prevent it.

“We can’t eradicate leptospirosis from livestock but we can do a lot to reduce the risk for people. We would like to be able to offer sheep farmers a similar scheme to Leptosure so that the risk for meatworkers is reduced but it will require a lot more research and a concerted effort from a number of different parties,” Mr Gibb said.

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