Over the past week, national public health officials have updated the country’s epidemiological database with two new confirmed cases of leptospirosis, a zoonotic illness that spreads through contact with contaminated sources. As of the latest update from the Ministry of Public Health’s National Epidemiological Surveillance System (Sinave), the cumulative number of confirmed leptospirosis cases recorded since the start of the calendar year stands at 272, with at least 19 fatalities linked to the disease. Unlike many common communicable illnesses, leptospirosis is most often contracted through direct exposure to the urine of infected animals—particularly rodents—or by consuming water and food that has been contaminated by this bacteria. This means poor sanitation and unhygienic living environments significantly increase a community’s risk of an outbreak.