El Comercio of Quito: "According to [news media], between Feb.2-4 there have been 5 deaths in a group of 6 patients with leptospirosis in the province of Guayas, one of the areas affected by the El Nino phenomenon. [This case fatality rate is extraordinarily high for leptospirosis, even if they were hospital cases. Would someone with direct knowledge of this cases let us know which serovar was involved and the circumstances leading up to these deaths." - Mod.MHJ]-- Abramo Ottolenghi <ottolenghi.1@osu.edu> on ProMED-mail <promed@usa.healthnet.org>