Health

Health Ministry confirms first death from Leptospirosis

January 19, 2021 4:02 pm

Fiji has recorded its first death this year due to leptospirosis.

This has been confirmed to FBC News by the Health Minister, Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete.

Dr Waqainabete says a young Fijian passed away last week at the Lautoka Hospital and another patient remains admitted in critical condition.

Article continues after advertisement

The Minister says while this is something they are sad about, the number of cases remain low when compared to previous years.

“There is one who is seriously ill. We’ve just begun to pick up two cases of Leptospirosis in the North. We continue to advice everybody, we’ve talked about it from before the fact that climate sensitive diseases is something that we have to push away irrespective of whatever time of the year we are in.”

The Minister says this first death case from the Western Division rings a reminder to Fijians that the disease is not prevalent in Tropical Cyclone Yasa ravaged areas.

He adds leptospirosis is a climate sensitive disease with cases spiking during the wet weather.