THE Ministry of Health says it, along with the St Ann Health Department, has been monitoring Blue Hole attractions in St Ann, following reports of cases of leptospirosis associated with visits to the locations.

In a release yesterday, the ministry said the St Ann Health Department is reporting that not enough evidence exists to conclude that the locations were the source of leptospirosis in the reported cases.

“There is limited information available on the publicised cases and the Ministry of Health is awaiting communication from official sources in the USA regarding any citizen who may have contracted the disease in Jamaica,” the release said.

However, the ministry has said it is concerned about any possible risk to the public and has therefore conducted investigations and follow-up visits to the locations.

“During the initial visit to the attractions, the public health inspectors reviewed the services offered, food service operations, sanitation and sewage disposal, and other aspects of the operations,” the ministry said. “Breaches of public health standards were identified at some facilities and the St Ann Health Department had issued instructions to the management of the attractions to remedy these.

“A follow-up visit was conducted in late July, which indicated that several of the breaches were remedied while others were still in progress,” it continued.

According to the release, prior to receiving the complaints, the health department had been monitoring the water quality on a monthly basis from the mouth of the river upon its exit to the coast. It said samples were also collected recently from different points in the vicinity of the Blue Hole attractions, which tested negative for the bacteria that causes the leptospirosis.

Leptospirosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria known as leptospira. It is transmitted through the urine of infected animals that enter the water or soil and survive for months.

“It is transmitted by rodents, dogs, farm animals, and horses. Animals and humans become infected through contact with water, food or soil that contains the urine of the infected animals. The bacteria can enter the body through skin or mucous membranes, especially if the skin is broken from a cut or scratch. Person-to-person transmission is rare. The disease causes a wide range of symptoms and some persons have no symptoms at all,” the ministry said.

Leptospirosis occurs worldwide, but is most common in temperate or tropical climates, the release said. It is an occupational hazard for many people who work outdoors or with pets and animals. The disease is also associated with swimming, wading, kayaking, and rafting in contaminated lakes and rivers.

The ministry said the St Ann Health Department will continue to maintain a presence at the Blue Hole attractions and along the White River course. Additionally, routine checks will be carried out at the various locations to ensure the health and safety of the public, it said.