SUVA – Fiji reported on Tuesday five more deaths from leptospirosis, bringing to 19 the total number of such deaths in the island nation this year.

According to Fijivillage news website, Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Health James Fong said on Tuesday that of the 19 deaths, 16 were recorded in the western part of Fiji, which has a population of around 900,000. He confirmed that there is an outbreak of leptospirosis in the western and central part of the island nation, an increasing trend of leptospirosis in the north and dengue fever in the western part of the nation.

The clinical and epidemiological data indicate that males and young adults aged 20-49 years are high-risk groups and young males are overly represented in cases and severe outcomes, he added. Leptospirosis is caused by bacteria that enter the body through skin or eyes, nose or mouth, especially when the skin is broken.

Drinking contaminated water may also cause infection. Outbreaks of leptospirosis are usually caused by exposure to contaminated water such as floodwaters. In the Pacific island countries, the summer season increased people’s risk of contracting leptospirosis due to higher rainfall and frequent flooding.