CHENNAI: The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine on Wednesday issued instructions to the Deputy Director of Health Services (DDHS) to provide doxycyline 200 mg tablet for leptospirosis for frontline workers and staff involved in flood related activities.

Based on the weather forecast predicted very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in Tamil Nadu, where necessary instructions have been provided to the health officers to take preparedness measures.

"As part of the post-flood response efforts, the department is implementing necessary Prevention and control measures. To prevent the occurrence of communicable diseases particularly Leptospirosis. It is instructed that the chemoprophylaxis will be provided with cap. Doxycyline 200 mg (single dose) for Leptospirosis, " stated Dr TS Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine.

If high-risk exposure persists for more than a week, the same chemoprophylaxis schedule to be repeated after one week However, it should not be administered for more than six weeks.

Therefore, all the District Health Officers, community health officers are instructed to distribute the mentioned drug to all frontline workers and staff involved in emergency response activities in flood related field activities including the sanitary workers in the local bodies and media persons.