Thursday, November 1, 2007

Nicaragua Sick from Rain

The storms in Central America are creating the perfect breeding ground for illness, especially in Nicaragua. A waterborne disease, leptospirosis, spread through animal urine has killed nine people

As of midday Monday, nine people had died of the disease and 1,606 people had fallen ill. The highest number of cases, 745, appeared in the northwestern city of Somotillo.

The infectious disease is usually contracted through cuts in the skin. It is spread because the urine of rats, cows and pigs ends up in pools of standing water during stormy weather. and sickened more than 1,600 in storm-stricken Nicaragua, health officials said earlier this week.



Source : MSNBC
Image : Queens University at Belfast

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