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LEPTOSPIROSIS ON OAHU: AN OUTBREAK ASSOCIATED WITH FLOODING OF A UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

On October 31, 2004, a stream overflowed, flooding the University of Hawaii (UH) campus. On November 19, 2004, a possible flood-related leptospirosis case (Patient 1) was reported to the Hawaii State Department of Health (HDOH). Surveillance for febrile illness was established through an Internet questionnaire. Active case finding was conducted among groups involved in the flood clean-up. Free leptospirosis testing was offered by HDOH. Patient 1’s illness was confirmed as leptospirosis by microscopic agglutination testing. A total of 271 persons responded to the Internet survey, of whom 90 (33%) reported a febrile illness within 30 days of contact with flood water. Forty-eight respondents (18%) were tested for leptospirosis. One additional acute leptospirosis case was identified. Patient 2 was epidemiologically linked to Patient 1. Health care providers should maintain a high level of suspicion for leptospirosis after flooding events, and local public health officials should promote leptospirosis awareness among flood-affected populations.

Received January 19, 2007. Accepted for publication January 26, 2007.

Acknowledgment: A brief report of this outbreak was published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2006; 55:125–127.

Financial support: There are no sources of financial support to report for this study.

Disclaimer: The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

^* Address correspondence to Alan R. Katz, Department of Public Health Sciences, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Biomedical Sciences Building, Room D104M, 1960 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822. E-mail: katz{at}hawaii.edu

Authors’ addresses: Kate Gaynor, Sarah Y. Park, Michele Nakata, and Paul V. Effler, Disease Outbreak Control Division, Hawaii State Department of Health, 1132 Bishop Street, Suite 1900, Honolulu, HI 96813, Telephone: 808-586-4586, Fax: 808-586-4595. Alan R. Katz, Department of Public Health Sciences, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Biomedical Sciences Building, Room D104M, 1960 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, Telephone: 808-956-5741, Fax: 808-956-5818. Thomas A. Clark, Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, NE, Mailstop C-09, Atlanta, GA 30333, Telephone: 404-639-1299, Fax: 404-639-3059.

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