Portland health officials urge vigilance as suspected leptospirosis cases reported

Health authorities in Portland are urging stakeholders to remain vigilant in the fight against leptospirosis and to step up efforts to reduce the parish’s rodent population.

Medical Officer of Health, Dr Sharon Lewis, reported during the Portland Municipal Corporation’s monthly meeting on March 12 that four suspected cases of leptospirosis were recently notified to the Portland Health Department – three in January and one in February.

“We have not yet received the laboratory results for these cases. However, for the same period last year, two suspected leptospirosis cases were notified — two in January and none in February,” she said.

Lewis further noted that five individuals from Portland were tested in December 2025 at hospitals outside the parish, all of whom returned negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results.

Similarly, one person tested outside the parish in January of this year also returned a negative PCR result.

PCR is a method that amplifies tiny amounts of genetic material so they can be detected and analysed. It is widely used to diagnose infectious diseases (like COVID-19, influenza, leptospirosis, and HIV), identify genetic changes, and even detect cancer cells.

“While we are happy about these negative results, we cannot afford to become complacent because rodents, one of the main carriers of the Leptospira bacteria, are very resilient creatures,” Dr. Lewis cautioned.

She informed that adult female rodents are highly prolific breeders, producing between six and 12 litters annually, with each litter containing six to 12 offspring.

This means a single female rodent can generate 60 or more young in just one year, underscoring the urgent need for effective control measures.

“So I’m reminding all the relevant stakeholders that annual baiting of our townships is an imperative if we are to keep the rodent population under control. There also needs to be sustained intervention to prevent a pile up of solid waste at collection sites across the parish. Apart from being unsightly, these piles of solid waste often provide food for rodents and facilitate their growth,” the medical officer said.

According to Lewis, enforcement action has been taken against several food establishments across the parish in recent months due to rodent infestations and other breaches of food-handling regulations.

She added that the owners of the food-handling establishments were provided with guidance on corrective measures to eliminate the breaches before being permitted to reopen to the public.

“While the owners and operators of food establishments and the users of those facilities have their own role to play, the governmental agencies have the responsibility to ensure that the systems to maintain the environment in a clean state and relatively free of pests are working efficiently and effectively,” Lewis stated.

She implored the Portland Municipal Corporation, the National Solid Waste Management Authority, the Health Department, the Tourism Enhancement Fund, and other stakeholders to work together and “put in place measures to make this a reality”.

- JIS News

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