SOMEONE MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE Although floods are frequent, leptospirosis has not been recorded as an epidemic in BiH since 2005!

(Patria) - Leptospirosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira, and the main carriers are rodents. The disease spreads through water and soil contaminated with the excrement of infected animals. It is particularly present in areas with poor hygiene conditions, after floods, and in environments where adequate sanitary measures are not implemented.

And despite the fact that BiH has been hit by devastating floods multiple times, the occurrence of this disease at an epidemic level has never been confirmed in BiH since 2005 until today.

According to available data, the previous leptospirosis epidemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina was recorded in August 2005. At that time, the Public Health Institute of the Federation of BiH declared an epidemic of leptospirosis in the "Stara Jama" brown coal mine in Zenica, after one miner died and another 14 were hospitalized. Production in the mine was suspended, and disinfection and deratization measures were taken to prevent the spread of infection.

Even after that, there were devastating floods, the biggest ones in 2014, but no leptospirosis.

However, the declaration of a leptospirosis epidemic in Sarajevo in May 2025 indicates that the disease continues to pose a serious public health challenge.

If we know that unfavorable weather conditions such as floods and heavy rains have not created conditions for the spread of bacteria in the environment, it is clear that the lack of adequate hygienic and sanitary conditions in public places is the primary cause.

Increase in the rodent population due to poor control and lack of preventive deratization measures. Apparently, insufficient prevention and continuous monitoring did not exist, which allowed the disease to spread without timely detection and reaction.

For these reasons, constant hygiene, regular preventive disinfection, disinsection, and deratization measures, as well as public education, are crucial for preventing the spread of leptospirosis.

It is clear that leptospirosis is not a thing of the past for BiH; it is a disease that can cause epidemics again if high hygiene standards and preventive measures are not maintained. Therefore, it is important that the competent authorities, as well as citizens, remain vigilant and actively participate in the fight against this dangerous disease. And, the judicial authorities should urgently state who is to blame for the epidemic!

(A.Č.Z.)