The Hindu : National : Gujarat: it's a leptospirosis epidemic

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 26, 2006

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National

Gujarat: it's a leptospirosis epidemic

Special Correspondent

SURAT: The Gujarat Government has denied any outbreak of plague in any part of flood-ravaged Surat but admitted that leptospirosis has taken an epidemic form.

State Health Secretary Amarjit Singh, quoting the final report from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, Delhi, said all tests carried out on the human and rodent samples for plague or Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, also spread by rodents, had been found negative.

The report was sent by NICD Director-General Shiv Lal. It, however, confirmed the spread of leptospirosis. NICD deputy director Sohan Lal, who led a team of experts for study in Surat for the last three days, was also present at Mr. Singh's media conference.

Mr. Singh said the eight deaths in the city in the last three days were caused by leptospirosis. Of the 30 patients still in hospitals, 17 tested positive for leptospirosis while the remaining 13 were believed to be suffering from some viral fever. "But there is no question of plague or Hantavirus in Surat and I am saying this with responsibility," he said.

Chief Minister Narendra Modi criticised a section of the media for scaring people with "baseless reports."

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