Suva, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Fiji has recorded 69 cases of leptospirosis this season, with four deaths, the Ministry of Health said Thursday.

Most leptospirosis cases recorded so far in Fiji this month alone are from the rural areas so people need to be more careful around animals, ministry officials said, according to report on Fiji Broadcasting Corporation news website.

Head of Health Protection in the ministry, Dr. Aalisha Sahukhan, said with the increasing cases recorded, medical officers are closely collaborating with households on the ground.

"They will actually go down to the household level, visit households and inspect these households then give advice to families that live there about preventative measures including keeping the household clean, keeping the household free of animals to minimize the spread of this disease within the communities itself."

"We are seeing cases from all over the Central Division, we have noted cases from Naitasiri, Rewa, as well as Serua and Namosi and we are seeing cases from urban areas as well as some of the rural areas as well."

Dr Sahukhan said they will undertake a refresher training on the guidelines related to leptospirosis treatment on Thursday as part of their monitoring strategy to help address the issue.

The ministry has urged communities in the Central Division to take precautionary measures and ensure they do not associate themselves with animals this rainy season.