Bassem Zaqout, Director of Medical Relief in the Gaza Strip, warned of fears regarding the spread of a new disease known as leptospirosis among displaced people in the Strip, after five cases were diagnosed.

Zaqout explained that following recent flooding, it is suspected that a type of bacteria was transmitted into running water through the urine of rats infected with leptospirosis. The infection then entered the bodies of displaced people through wounds or skin cracks, allowing the disease to spread.

He noted that the disease does not spread from person to person and is therefore non-contagious. However, the environmental conditions in the Gaza Strip significantly increase the risk of more people becoming infected, especially due to the spread of rats in displacement camps, the mixing of sewage water with rainwater, and repeated flooding with every low-pressure weather system affecting the area.

Zaqout warned that if the necessary laboratory testing equipment is not urgently allowed into Gaza, there is a serious risk of the disease spreading among displaced populations and endangering their lives, due to the inability to detect cases at an early stage.