Leptospirosis — a disease largely caused by the urine of infected rats in standing water — is currently health officials’ biggest concern, said the head of the state’s health surveillance center, Roberta Vanacor. There have been early 2,300 potential cases reported, of which 141 were confirmed, according to the state’s health authorities. According to the health ministry, the floods have allowed the leptospirosis bacteria to flourish, facilitating illness outbreaks. You may also be interested in: Uprooted by Brazil floods, foreign refugees ‘start all over again’And as residents return to their homes, they may find an additional danger. “You see everything you’ve achieved, that you’ve fought [to have], all your history, go to waste.”—Reuters

Source: Bueno Aires Herald May 30, 2024 21:25 UTC