Epidemics of Leptospirosis in North Eastern Provinces of Thailand in 1996 (การระบาดของเลปโตสไปโรซิสในภาคตะวันออกเฉียงเหนือของประเทศไทย ปี พ.ศ. 2539)

Acute febrile illness due to leptospirosis is found to be sporadic in many regions of Thailand. In B.E. 2539, outbreaks of acute febrile illness had occurs in many provinces in Northeast. Case rate was 1.4 per 100,000 population which was the highest rate within a decade, decade, compared to 0.56 per 100,000 population of case rate throughout the country. To investigate Leptospira antibody by micro agglutination test, a total of 415 single pitients sera represent patients from various provinces in Northeast were examined. Forty – One (9.8%) of the 415 patients were found to raise specific antibody titers over 1:100 against Leptospira which proven Leptospira infections. Among these, 13 (31.7%) and 11 (26.8%) patients were found to have antibody against L.icterohemorrhagiae and L.ballico, repectively. In addition, 17 (41.5%) of the 41 patients had antibody against other 9 serotypes of Leptospira. None were found to have specific antibody against L.pomona. Of the 41 patientis, most were found in age – ground of 31 – 40 year, with male : ratio of 20.1 Prominent patients were found in  Burirum, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Kalasin, repectively. The outbreaks were pwak in October.