Factors associated with delays in seeking treatment for leptospirosis: a prospective study in Monaragala District, Sri Lanka

Introduction: Leptospirosis is a life-threatening zoonotic infection and delayed seeking treatment has been associated with complications and poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to analyze socio-demographic factors associated with delays in seeking treatment of patients with leptospirosis in Monaragala District.
Methods: A hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to analyze the factors associated with delays in seeking treatment of patients with leptospirosis using 450 clinically diagnosed leptospirosis patients admitted to base and above hospitals in Monaragala district, using a pretested interviewer administered questionnaire among laboratory confirmed leptospirosis.
Results: The incidence of leptospirosis in Monaragala district during the study period from the present study was 59.8 per 100,000 population.  Significant socio-demographic factors associate with delays in seeking treatment by laboratory confirmed patients in bi variable analysis was marital status (OR=1.85; CI=1.02-3.33), monthly income (OR=2.63; CI=1.02-7.14), time taken to reach a health care facility (OR=4.95; CI=1.48-16.62) and cost of travel (OR=2.73; CI=1.10-6.75), while age (OR=1.25; CI=0.68-2.28), sex (OR=1.44; CI=0.69-2.98), education (OR=1.5; CI=0.88-2.77), nationality (OR=1.64; CI=0.39-6.66), occupation (OR=1.01; CI=0.56-1.81), distance from home to a health care facility (OR=1.44; CI=0.79-2.59) and mode of travel  (OR=1.78; CI=0.92-3.57) was not significant. After adjusting for the effect of confounders, only the source of infection of leptospirosis showed a significant association (AOR=3.65; 95% CI=1.48-8.98) with delay in seeking treatment. 
Conclusions and Recommendations: Awareness of the source of the leptospirosis infection should be more emphasized and raising awareness is needed all year to prevent medical complications and deaths.