Eight people have died in the Central Division since the Health Ministry declared an outbreak of leptospirosis in January.

The Ministry says the first five deaths occurred between January and April while the other three occurred shortly following the bad weather experienced over Easter in April.

The Ministry is warning the public to prevent themselves from getting leptospirosis.

Fijians are urged to not swim in flooded waters after heavy rainfall, wear closed shoes when working on farms and flooded waters and following good sanitation and hygiene practices.

The public is also reminded that communicable diseases are preventable if they wash hands properly after using toilets and before eating, boiling unsafe water before drinking as well as destroying mosquito breeding sites.

The Ministry says it continues to monitor communicable diseases such as leptospirosis, typhoid, dengue fever and influenza in the country.

People are therefore advised to seek medical attention early to minimize the risks of developing complications as usually patients present late to health facilities with advanced stages of these diseases.