According to health authorities, the infections are caused by poor garbage disposal and recent floods.

As stated by official information, the sick people are in the so-called Zone 8 which includes the cities of Guayaquil, Durán, and Samborondón, in the province of Guayas.

Durán is the most affected city, where 17 cases have been reported in people between 20 and 49 years old.

When it rains and the streets are flooded, generally the bad disposal of garbage, where rats like to urinate, mixes with everything and when we have contact with these contaminated waters the infection occurs, the Municipal Director of Public Health, Juan Carlos Gonzalez warned in an information to Ecuavisa channel.

At least five deaths and 22,769 people affected is the balance so far of the current rainy season in Ecuador, where 35 rivers overflowed their banks.

According to the Secretariat of Risk Management, in the last few days, three people died due to a landslide in the province of Azuay and one in Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas as a consequence of a sinkhole.

jrr/jav/mem/nta