British nationals travelling to Fiji have been warned about the latest outbreak of Leptospirosis in the country.

The United Kingdom Foreign Office issued a travel advisory on Wednesday advising its citizens to exercise caution when travelling to the Central Division.

“The Ministry of Health and Medical Services has declared an outbreak of leptospirosis in the Central Division,” the advisory said,

“There have been four deaths in the Central Division from the outbreak.

“Please exercise caution should you be travelling to the Central Division and visit the nearest hospital or healthcare facility if suffering from the symptoms of leptospirosis.”

In a statement released earlier this week, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services stated that 69 cases were recorded in the Central Division from January 1, 2019 with 18 people requiring admission at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital.

The majority of the cases recorded have been in the age group from one to 19 years old and 20 to 29 years old.

Leptospirosis is a disease caused by bacteria that affects both humans and animals.

Humans get leptospirosis through contact with the urine of infected animals which often happens through contact with mud, water, or food contaminated with the urine of infected animals.

Medical officers have been alerted about the outbreak in order to encourage early recognition, treatment, and referral of cases as required.

Edited by Percy Kean

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