In the second such case in a week, a 29-year-old man died of leptospirosis (rat fever) in the government hospital here, hospital sources on September 6 said.

A 34-year-old woman had succumbed to the fever earlier. The man had been undergoing treatment for fever for the last two days in a private hospital. He was shifted to the government hospital on September 5 when tests revealed he was suffering from rat fever, the sources said.

Two persons - one from Valparai in the district and the other from Gudalur in Nilgiris district - were also being treated for the fever in the hospital, they said. Deputy Director Health Bhanumathi told reporters that all precautionary measures were being taken to prevent the spread of the water-borne disease.

The four people - including the two who had died during the week - allegedly got infected when they visited neighbouring Kerala where several cases of leptospirosis have been reported after the torrential rains last month. No cases have been reported in Coimbatore district, she said.