An Interdisciplinary Study of Leptospirosis Surveillance Systems in Three Regencies of East Java, Indonesia

In April–May of 2013, Sampang Regency (Madura Island), experienced extreme seasonal rains, and subsequent flooding, followed by dramatic peaks in reported leptospirosis. Local public health surveillance efforts responded to these events and an investigative regional report was launched by the Centre for Environmental Health Engineering and Disease Control, Sampang Regional Health Office. In light of this outbreak and targeted investigation, this study sought to combine existing surveillance data with descriptive household data to investigate leptospirosis incidence and its associated socio-environmental exposures in Sampang and two neighbouring regencies of Gresik and Surabaya in East Java, Indonesia. Leptospirosis has a complex and variable disease epidemiology. In order to identify environmental and social risk determinants of cases of leptospirosis, a total of 275 household questionnaires were administered across nine targeted sample sites in the regencies of Gresik, Sampang, and Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia. Univariate analysis and binomial logistic regression were used to analyze associations of independent predictor variables with suspected and probable case reporting.