pune people wading their way through waterlogged roads with leaking drainage lines are at a higher risk of contracting deadly bacterial infection leptopsirosis during the monsoon experts warned on mondaysimilarly those living in housing societies independent bungalows or working at commercial and government establishments where basements become waterlogged are also at an increased risk of contracting the disease as basements are often infested with rodents they saidthe concern surfaced after a 23yearold woman from balewadi tested positive for the leptospirosis at a state government referral laboratory at sassoon hospital on july 4 besides eight people from pune have tested positive for the infection this year so far the latest report from the state health department has revealedwe didnt find any fresh cases of leptospirosis after july 4 we have however directed our health staffers to check every complaint of rodent infestation and water accumulation in building basements sanjeev wavare assistant medical officer of health of the pune municipal corporation pmc saidthe issue of waterlogging in building basements is a major concern in old structures and wadas in the kasbavishrambaug and kasba peth ward office areas similarly societies located on the periphery are also prone to rainwater accumulation in their basements especially during the monsoon people living there need to be extra careful wavare saidas per the civic records there are over 1186 old properties prone to water accumulation in the city most of these buildings are located in kasba peth budhwar peth shaniwar peth nana peth bhavani peth and narayan peththe areas that have reported cases need to undergo fever surveillance besides awareness activities and preventive measures should also be taken in the affected areas health activist sanjay dabhade saidthe leptospirosis infection occurs when a person comes contact with the contaminated water or food or soil containing urine of animals especially rodents people can get infected when walking through contaminated flood water especially if the germs come in contact with the eyes nose or woundsbruised skin on feet the disease does not spread from one person to anotherveterinarians pet shopowners sewage workers and farm employees are particularly at high risk a health official said adding that people participating in outdoor sporting activities like hiking and camping might also come in contact with contaminated water or soil