Cases of Leptospirosis reported in Belize City

The Ministry of Health has announced that a number of people in Belize City have been diagnosed with Leptospirosis. The cases were detected after the passage of Hurricane Keith. The disease is an acute bacterial condition that is transmitted to humans by eating food and drinking water contaminated with rat faeces and urine and may enter through minor skin lesions and mucous membranes. The Ministry of Health believes the disease is a result of the flooding, which followed Hurricane Keith. Symptoms of Leptospirosis include, fever, headache, chills, muscle pain and red eyes. The public is asked to avoid walking without boots in flooded areas and to ensure that drinking water from ponds, rivers or vats has been boiled or chlorinated.