When Hurricane Fiona slammed into Puerto Rico, it brought more than just wind and rain. A new report confirms what health officials feared: a large outbreak of leptospirosis followed the storm. Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease people can get from contact with water or soil contaminated by infected animal urine, which often happens during flooding.
The report describes the outbreak in the population of Puerto Rico but doesn't provide specific numbers on how many people were infected, how sick they became, or if anyone died. It simply confirms the outbreak occurred. The authors note an association between the hurricane and the outbreak, meaning the two events happened close together, but this type of report can't prove the storm directly caused every case.
This is a descriptive account, not a detailed scientific study. We don't know the exact scale of the outbreak or its final impact on people's health. What it does tell us clearly is that major hurricanes create conditions where dangerous diseases like leptospirosis can spread, putting entire communities at risk long after the skies clear.