With 22 more fatalities, the death toll from diseases brought on by floods that ravaged the Western Indian Bombay city and its adjoining areas has climbed to 66, news reports said Friday. Heavy rains eased last week but flooded areas are now reporting numerous cases of water-borne diseases, according to DPA. Most of the deaths in and around Bombay, capital of Maharashtra state, in the past four days are due to leptospirosis, symptoms of which are jaundice and fever, the Times of India reported. The number of cases of suspected leptospirosis in hospitals is up to 179, but health authorities remain undecided on whether or not to declare an epidemic outbreak. Thursday's declaration of an outbreak by Maharashtra's Health Minister Vimal Mundada's was subsequently rejected by the official spokesperson of the state government. Leptospirosis is caused by exposure to a bacterium in water contaminated with the urine of rodents and infected animals. At least 1,200 people suffering from water-borne diseases, such as gastroenteritis, malaria and viral fever, have been admitted to various hospitals, the NDTV network reported. Since July, more than 1,600 people have lost their lives in landslides, drownings and post-flood diseases as a result of heavy monsoon rains in India.
