DOH warns typhoon victims of rise in leptospirosis cases
Health Secretary Enrique Ona. Inquirer file photo
Bathe with clean water and dry yourselves thoroughly after.
The Department of Health (DOH) gave this advice to typhoon victims still exposed to contaminated floodwaters as five cases of suspected leptospirosis in Bulacan were reported to the agency on Friday.
Health Secretary Enrique Ona said the DOH was expecting a spike in the incidence of leptospirosis, which could be deadly if ignored, following the massive flooding brought about by Typhoons “Pedring” and “Quiel” in the last two weeks.
At least 2,061 cases of leptospirosis were observed from January to September 24. This figure was 194.8 percent higher than the total for the same period last year. A total of 156 deaths have been recorded so far this year.
At the same time, the DOH has monitored 3,600 cases of respiratory diseases at evacuation centers in Central Luzon due to poor conditions in these temporary shelters.
Ona said the health agency was urgently addressing the rising incidence of respiratory ailments in the shelters by providing tents and dry bedding, and undertaking vaccination procedures, especially among children.
To prevent fatalities due to leptospirosis, the DOH—through the 54 medical teams it has dispatched to towns hardest hit by the typhoons, has made available antibiotic prophylaxis to high-risk individuals.
Those most vulnerable to the disease are men because of their constant exposure to contaminated floodwaters, Ona told reporters at a press conference in Manila Sunday.
Boots, long pants
Wearing protective gear such as boots and wearing long pants can help reduce the risk of contracting the bacteria, which usually find their way through abraded skin or even just minor cuts, according to the health chief.
Leptospirosis is an infection commonly transmitted to humans from water that has been contaminated by animal urine, particularly rats, and comes in contact with lesions in the skin or eyes.
Symptoms of the infection include fever, chills and severe headache, which usually appear four to 14 days following exposure to contaminated floodwaters or mud. Other signs include red eyes, jaundice, tea-colored urine and difficulty to urinate.
Ona advised people whose homes are still submerged in floodwaters to wash the exposed part of their bodies with clean water and dry themselves immediately to avoid not only leptospirosis but also skin diseases.
“They must not allow their bodies to be moist for an extended period of time … they should change out of wet clothes as soon as possible,” he said.
