title: LEPTOSPIROSIS INCIDENCE AND MORTALITY IN MALAYSIA.
abstract: Leptospirosis is endemic in Southeast Asia, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Oceania. Malaysia was categorized as a probable endemic country without any available data. Thus, this study was conducted to determine incidence, case fatality rate and mortality rate of leptospirosis. Leptospirosis is a notifiable disease in Malaysia since 2010 whereby probable or confirmed cases must be notified to relevant health district office. There were 3,665 and 4,457 probable and laboratory confirmed leptospirosis cases notified in 2012 and 2013, respectively. In the 2-year period, the most common age group of patients was 19 years old or less (23.3%) with male:female ratio of 2.61:1. Students consisted about 16.9% of patients, followed by agriculture-based or plantation workers (14.7%). Overall age-standardized incidence rate of leptospirosis in Malaysia for 2012 and 2013 was 29.02 per 100,000. Overall case fatality rate was 1.47% for 2-year period and overall age-standardized mortality rate was 0.45 per 100,000. Leptospirosis is an emerging public health concern in Malaysia and may pose a significant health impact and burden to the nation in the coming years if not well controlled.
authors.forename: Wei Leong
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Shahrul Aiman
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Soelar
authors.forename: Mohd Azri
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mohd Suan
authors.forename: Narwani
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hussin
authors.forename: Wee Kooi
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Cheah
authors.forename: Khebir
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Verasahib
authors.forename: Pik Pin
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Goh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality*; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult