Section 1.1: The Process of Community Outreach

Using a map from our project coordinator, a colleague and I, dressed in our bright blue and yellow shirts, trekked up a rugged path leading to a solitary house perched on a hill. After calling out to announce our presence, a wary homeowner reluctantly opened the door. We proceeded with our introduction, which ultimately culminates in the rather blunt query, “Can we have some blood?” While we express this request more diplomatically, it often sounds rather shocking to our audience.

Fortunately, there exists an antibiotic capable of eradicating the bacteria within a few days, provided the illness is identified promptly. The challenge we face in the community we are surveying is the absence of any screening for this disease.

Subsection 1.1.1: Understanding Leptospirosis

As an epidemiologist, my work revolves around the critical questions of who, what, where, when, why, and how in relation to health events. My current focus is on leptospirosis, or lepto, a disease primarily spread through the urine of infected mammals, including livestock, dogs, and rodents.

Exposure can occur through contact with contaminated freshwater sources, floodwaters, or while caring for sick animals. The bacteria flourish in warm and humid climates, particularly following storms that lead to flooding. The symptoms can range from mild to severe, with some cases resulting in liver and kidney failure, potentially leading to death.

The good news is that prompt treatment with antibiotics can effectively clear the infection. However, the community we are studying currently lacks any form of screening for the disease.

Section 1.2: The Challenge of Raising Awareness

If leptospirosis is indeed a significant concern here, as suggested by three cases reported after severe storms in 2017, it is crucial to gather evidence to inform public health initiatives and enhance awareness among healthcare providers.

As a member of "Team Lepto," I have been working alongside one or two colleagues, visiting designated areas identified through census data, and randomly selecting households for participation in our survey. We often appear as uninvited guests, asking a series of questions—some of which can be quite personal—along with requesting a blood sample.

We must emphasize the importance of their participation and the potential benefits it holds for both them and the wider community.

Section 2.1: Goals of the Lepto Serosurvey

The variability of symptoms makes it challenging to determine past exposure to leptospirosis. Therefore, our project aims to collect samples from the community to ascertain a few key elements: the prevalence of the disease, the associated risk factors, and the sources of contamination.

We need to identify who is affected, which animals and water sources may pose risks, where the at-risk populations are located, when exposures are most likely to occur, how these exposures happen, and why some individuals contract the disease while others do not.

As we near the conclusion of this month-long project, we are encouraged by the community's willingness to participate, successfully achieving more positive responses than anticipated.

I remain optimistic as we work diligently to monitor this disease and ultimately save lives.

In the audiobook preview of "Some of Your Blood" by Theodore Sturgeon, themes of personal sacrifice and the complexities of human relationships reflect the emotional stakes of our public health efforts.