PATHANAMTHITTA: Another death due to leptospirosis (rat fever) has been reported in the state. The deceased Sujatha (50), of Melethil in Parappattu in Pathanamthitta's Kodumon is a MGNREGA worker. She was undergoing treatment at the Kottayam Medical College Hospital for the past three days. This is the third death due to rat fever in a week in Pathanamthitta.

Mani, who died on Thursday in Koduman, was also confirmed to have died of rat fever. Rajan, a native of Adoor's Peringanadu, also died of rat fever yesterday.

With the rainy season, rat fever and dengue fever are spreading in the state. In the last two weeks, 10 people have been diagnosed with rat fever and 80 people have been diagnosed with dengue fever in the district. 17 cases of H1N1 flu and two deaths have been reported. More dengue cases have been reported in the district last month.

The number of people suffering from viral fever is also increasing. More than half a lakh people have sought treatment for viral fever in various hospitals. In the last one week, 5,212 people have contracted viral fever in the district. The health department authorities are also worried about the spread of type-3 and type 4 (DEN V3 and DEN V4) viruses. When dengue virus type-2 was widespread in 2017, 2,11,993 people sought treatment for dengue and 165 people died, according to official figures.