Health Minister Dr. Ifereimi Waqainabete [left] and Opposition Whip Lynda Tabuya

A task force from the Health Ministry including environment officers has been carrying out household inspections to prevent leptospirosis.

Opposition Whip Lynda Tabuya questioned the Health Minister in relation to the response time for typhoid and leptospirosis in parliament this morning.

Dr. Ifereimi Waqainabete clarified that same action is taken for both.

“Typhoid was predominantly in rural areas, leptospirosis was predominantly in the peri-urban areas. The attention to detail was the same.”

The Ministry had declared a leptospirosis outbreak in the Central division last month after recording over 60 cases and four deaths.

Leptospirosis is a disease caused by bacteria that affects both humans and animals and humans get leptospirosis through contact with the urine of infected animals.

The typhoid outbreak was declared in Naitasiri and Navosa in September last year which had claimed one life.