Rare disease hitting farmers is on the rise in towns surrounding Katherine | Katherine Times

news, local-news, Leptospirosis, health risks, on the rise, doctor

Cases of a rare disease which passes from animals to humans has significantly increased following widespread rain and flooding across the Northern Territory. Dr Damien Brown, a Public Health Registrar from the NT’s Centre for Disease Control, said nine cases of Leptospirosis has been confirmed among cattle workers since January. The majority of cases have been linked to workers in the Daly River and rural Darwin region, but two cases have also been confirmed in Pine Creek, less than 100 kilometres from Katherine. The spike in cases is almost double the total confirmed last year. “Leptospirosis is known to affect cattle and farm workers, and is particularly common…