[File Photo]

The Health Ministry has detected 67 new cases of Leptospirosis since the last update a week ago.

Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says there is one new death from the disease and this was a 15-year-old boy from Tailevu who presented to Nausori Health Centre on the 6th of this month and died on the same day.

Doctor Fong says there have been a total of 36 deaths from leptospirosis this year.

Meanwhile, the Western Division recorded the highest number of cases so far this year, with 741 lab-confirmed cases.

He adds that 29 new cases were detected in the division, 625 cases of leptospirosis have been recorded in the Central Division, 365 in the Northern Division, and 54 cases detected in the Eastern Division this year.

He also confirmed nine new cases of typhoid fever in the last week, bringing the total of typhoid cases recorded this year to 105.

The Permanent Secretary also says that 96 new cases of Dengue Fever have been recorded since the last update.

The Ministry continues to remind Fijians of important preventative measures to ensure people are safe from the disease.

Parents are urged to prevent children from playing in mud or swimming in flooded rivers or creeks, and ensure that they were shoes when outside.