Moshe Bar Siman Tov
Moshe Bar Siman TovFlash 90

Health Ministry Director-General Moshe Bar Siman Tov on Sunday told Reshet Bet that Israelis need not worry that leptospirosis will spread from one person to another.

"There is no threat to the lives of the four patients hospitalized in intensive care," Bar Siman Tov told Reshet Bet. "We need to ensure that herds of cattle and wild pigs, who cause the diseases, will not have access to water."

"We are verifying that they have alternate water sources.

"It's important to clarify: Leptospirosis is not a disease which passes between people. And even those who have contracted the disease - it's an easy disease to treat."

Leptospirosis, called "achberet" in Hebrew, can be found around the globe, but is more common in tropical areas. The bacteria harms a wide variety of animals, and is usually transmitted via rats, though it can pass to people as well.

Symptoms include headaches, muscle aches, and fever, but can also include pulmonary hemorrhage, kidney failure, and meningitis.