Image source, Getty Images
- author, Marc Crusino
- role, BBC News
Authorities in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state have confirmed 54 cases of water-borne leptospirosis after unprecedented flooding in the region in April and May.
Four other people have died from the disease, which is transmitted through water contaminated with the urine of infected animals such as rats.
As many as 800 suspected cases are currently under investigation, the state health department said in a statement.
The floods have killed more than 165 people and many are still missing.
More than 2.3 million Brazilians in 469 municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul state are affected by what the Brazilian government has described as a “climate disaster.”
Local media reports said at least 581,000 people have been forced to evacuate, while 55,000 gauchos (from the state of Rio Grande do Sul) are being housed in temporary housing.
Many cities in the state remain underwater, which could lead to an increase in leptospirosis cases.
Symptoms of the disease include fever, muscle pain, and nausea followed by vomiting.
Image source, Getty Images
The state’s health department warned residents that floodwater could mix with sewage, leading to the transmission of diseases such as leptospirosis and hepatitis A.
Brazil is vaccinating its population against Hepatitis A, but given the extent of the damage, it is advising people to avoid consuming water and food that may have been contaminated by floodwaters.
Recovery and rescue efforts are continuing, with the federal government allocating more than 1.8 billion reals (£275 million, $348 million) to support Rio Grande do Sul state.
As floodwaters recede, the full extent of the damage is becoming clear in Brazil’s southernmost state, and people who have been able to return to their homes are working to salvage belongings that survived the flooding.
The state of Rio Grande do Sul has 497 municipalities and a population of over 10 million. The state borders Uruguay and Argentina.
Image source, Getty Images
“Climate disaster”
Critics of the Rio Grande do Sul state government blame the governor for the damage because of his stance on environmental policy.
Journalist Eleonora de Lucena wrote in Folha newspaper that right-wing leadership in Rio Grande do Sul state accuses local politicians of pandering to the interests of soybean farmers and ignoring environmental promises.
Under the leadership of Governor Eduardo Leite, more than 400 amendments have been made to the province’s environmental laws, including one that allows for the construction of dams in environmentally sensitive areas.
But in an interview with BBC Brazil last week, Leite defended his policy, adding that building dams in protected areas would make it possible to produce food.
The flooding was caused by unprecedented heavy rainfall in the region, but the mass evacuations were exacerbated by the collapse of a hydroelectric dam after several days of heavy rain in early May.
