[Wash Times] Leptospirosis, a rare infection spread by rat urine, killed one person and severely sickened two others within the past couple of months, New York City health officials said Tuesday."The Health Department has identified a cluster of three cases of leptospirosis on one block in the Concourse area of the Bronx. Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that is most commonly spread by contact with rat urine and is very rarely spread from person to person," The Health Department said in a statement Tuesday, New York’s Pix 11 reported.
Two of the patients contracted leptospirosis in December and another was sickened as recently as the month. In every instance they became severely ill and hospitalized with acute kidney and liver failure, the Health Department said.
One of the patients died from their illness and the other two recovered, the Health Department said. An emergency meeting is scheduled to take place Wednesday in the epicenter of the outbreak, 750 Grand Concourse across from Franz Sigel Park.
"Human leptospirosis cases are very rare in New York City," said Demetre Daskalakis, acting deputy commissioner of the Health Department.
"This is the first time a cluster of cases has been identified," he told the New York Post.