The death toll due to leptospirosis reached 35 in Surat this monsoon with two more deaths at the New Civil Hospital on Thursday. Five more people suffering from the disease were admitted to the hospital today.

The two farm labourers, who died, were identified as Narmada Choudhary (20), a resident of Vaskui village in Bardoli taluka, and Ganga Magan, a resident of Navsari taluka.

Meanwhile, a team of experts from the National Institute of Communicable Disease of Delhi has come to Surat to find out the reasons behind the increase in leptospirosis deaths.

The team, comprising Dr G R Choudhary (Public Health Expert), Dr R Guleria (senior physician) and Dr D Chakravorthy (senior chest physician), have visited primary health care centres, community health care centres and civil hospitals in Surat, Navsari and Valsad districts, where leptospirosis patients are undergoing treatment.

Dr Hasmukh Panchal, Regional Deputy Director at the Surat civil hospital, said: “The team has taken details and given instructions to the doctors at PHCs and CHCs. The reason behind increase in the mortality rate among farm labourers is that they approach doctors when the disease has reached an extreme stage.”

He added: “We are working hard to bring down the mortality rate. We have handed medicines to sarpanchs and taluka panchayat members to distribute it among farm labourers in their areas.”