It’s the kind of vacation memory we would happily do without. The regional health agency of Occitanie calls for vigilance after the occurrence of “ten confirmed or probable cases” of leptospirosis, in particular among canyoning enthusiasts who have practiced on the Ariège Argensou course, in the Auzat and Vicdessos sectors.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease transmitted by rodents, especially rats, through their urine. “It is transmitted to humans by contact of damaged skin or a mucous membrane with the urine of animals carrying the infection or fresh water polluted by this urine”, specifies the ARS.
Fever, pimples … various symptoms
Leptospirosis appears suddenly after five to 20 days of incubation. But its diagnosis is complicated by the wide range of possible symptoms: sudden high fever accompanied by headaches, sometimes conjunctivitis, skin rashes or digestive disorders. Antibiotic treatment works as long as you don’t drag it out. Hence this appeal to all people who present compatible symptoms and who have rowed, fished, or swam in the Argensou. They “are invited to quickly consult their attending physician, specifying the risk context”.