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Nigel Pitter, 21, recovering from serious case of leptospirosis

GeneralNigel Pitter, 21, recovering from serious case of leptospirosis

Pitter, who went into a coma, needs public assistance to cover medical costs

Leptospirosis is a deadly bacterial disease which is generally transmitted by rats, and while a number of people might not be aware of its severity and its impact, one resident of the Collet area of Belize City got a firsthand experience which almost took his life, landing him in a coma from which he has only recently been able to recover.

On June 15 of this year, Nigel Augustine Pitter, 21, was overcome with illness after he reportedly ate leftover food which, unbeknownst to him, had been contaminated by rats.

He immediately began vomiting blood, after which he was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital by relatives, and according to his father, Roy Pitter, Nigel’s condition worsened to the point where he went into a coma.

Roy said, “When I saw him, he was in a coma and there were tubes inserted in him so that he could breathe, because he was not breathing well. On Sunday [June 29], he came out of it [the coma] and he started to talk. When I went to visit him the next day, Monday, he said, ‘Dad, I want it rich’ because he knows that I like to make oats, so he made me feel good.”

Pitter mentioned that it was the first time that he (the father) had heard about leptospirosis, and he advises members of the public who might be at risk of catching the disease to keep their yard clean so that rats do not inhabit their premises and procreate.

Nigel’s medical bill has amounted to over $11,000, and the family is asking for the public’s assistance to cover the expenses.

Pitter stated, “The medical bill is $11,478.25, and that is what I received for up to July 1, but he is still in the hospital, so I have another bill to receive.”

According to Pitter, Nigel went through a series of operations and he still has some dialysis to undergo in addition to another operation that he has to take to extract the tubes from his body.

At a Ministry of Health press conference which was held late last month, Director of Health Services, Dr. Michael Pitts, spoke about Pitter’s case and warned that the disease is currently a real and active threat to Belizeans.

He explained, “What we have learnt over the last 24 hours is that there was a young person, a 21-year old, with signs and symptoms of an illness that did not start out looking like leptospirosis, but with the astuteness of the physician, after 36 hours, they in fact diagnosed him with leptospirosis. What it means is that we have to go out to the area where that person lives, see what are the particular environmental conditions, and try to do some “de-ratification.” I understand in this case the gentleman had very severe symptoms; he came in first with respiratory symptoms and then progressed downhill, but he has since stabilized and I think he should be improving. There is the question as to whether there is another case, but we haven’t confirmed it yet. We are following those up. If you see a rat running in your house during the day time, [that means] you have a high level of infestation, so call us at the Public Health Department because we have the tools, we will assist, but again, citizens have to do their part.”

Leptospirosis is caused by exposure to rat droppings and urine, and can also affect dogs.

Nigel Pitter’s family is presently assisting him to learn to walk again after the disease rendered him paralyzed in both legs.

Anyone who wishes to assist the family can contact Roy Pitter at 620-8065 or 663-6041. His account number is 133211 at St. John’s Credit Union for those who would like to make a deposit to help defray his medical costs.

In January, we reported on the death of former traffic warden Michael Lewis, 47, who died on New Year’s Day after being stricken with leptospirosis for two weeks.

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