LEPTOSPIROSIS: TWO DEATHS SO FAR

KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 (Bernama) -- The Health Ministry announced Monday that
the number of deaths from Leptospirosis had risen to two.

Director-general of Health Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said the ministry was
still waiting for the results of the post-mortems.

"Out of the 23 cases treated yesterday (Sunday), one died while three were
allowed to be discharged, leaving 19 cases still under treatment now," he said
in a media statement issued Monday.

Out of the 19 cases, one is warded at the northern state of Penang's Bukit
Mertajam Hospital's intensive-care unit (ICU) and the rest at its isolation ward
and were reported to be in stable condition.

Another case at the Seberang Jaya's ICU, however, was reported to be in
critical condition, Dr Mohd Ismail said.

Although a relatively rare bacterial infection in humans, Leptospirosis is
commonly transmitted by allowing water that has been contaminated by animal
urine to come into contact with unhealed breaks in the skin, eyes or mucous
membranes.
-- BERNAMA