The Secretariat specified that seven deaths are under investigation, five others were ruled out and that, out of 3,650 cases, 242 were confirmed.

The deaths occurred in the cities of Porto Alegre, the state capital (two deaths), Venâncio Aires, Tres Coroas, Almohada, Sapucaia do Sul, São Leopoldo, Encantado, Canoas,

Cachoeirinha, Alvorada, Viamano and Nuevo Hamburgo.

Eldo Gross, a 67-year-old man, resident of Almohada, in the Taquari Valley, is registered as the first victim of the disease after the overflows caused by the rainfall that began at the end of April. All the victims are men, aged between 30 and 69 years.

The tests that confirm or not the cases of leptospirosis are carried out by the Central Laboratory of Rio Grande do Sul and the specialists have two diagnoses.

Firstly, the molecular biology test for suspected cases in the first seven days of symptoms and the serological test detecting the antibody produced by the patient’s organism in the same period of indications.

jrr/arm/mem/ocs