Following the recent 'Kona low' storm and subsequent flooding in Hawaii, health authorities are cautioning residents and visitors about the elevated risk of leptospirosis. This bacterial disease, transmissible between animals and humans, is spread through contact with the urine of infected animals such as rats, mice, and dogs. The Hawaii Department of Health and the Hawaiian Humane Society emphasize that the state’s warm, wet climate inherently supports higher rates of leptospirosis, and flooding can exacerbate the spread of the bacteria through contaminated soil and water.