Residents in Westmoreland are being urged to avoid contact with flood waters and to keep children out of inundated areas as health officials seek to reduce the risk of leptospirosis, following recent heavy rainfall across the parish.

Health Promotion and Education Officer for Westmoreland, Gerald Miller, told JIS News that recent persistent downpours have resulted in flooding in several low-lying and flood-prone communities, creating conditions that could expose residents to potentially serious diseases. Miller expressed concern that despite ongoing public education campaigns, some persons continue to wade through floodwaters and allow children to play in them, often viewing the practice as a normal part of life during periods of heavy rainfall.

“We just want to remind the residents of how serious it is and the public health consequences of them contracting leptospirosis by means of walking or playing, and especially children taking off their shoes and walking in these floodwaters,” he outlined.