INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III on Saturday announced that four more barangays in Metro Manila had been declared under leptospirosis outbreak.
This makes 22 the current number of affected Metro Manila barangays from previously reported 18.
“Nadagdagan pa mula 18, ngayon nasa mga 22 barangays. Nadagdagan ng apat mula sa huling deklarasyon natin ng outbreak [It has increased from 18, now we have 22 villages. The number increased by four since the last time we declared an outbreak],” Duque said in an interview over dzBB.
The added barangays were fall rom Caloocan City. Other cities previously put under the outbreak situation are Quezon City, Taguig, Pasig, Parañaque, Navotas, Mandaluyong, and Malabon.
READ: DOH declares leptospirosis outbreak in parts of Metro Manila
As of June 16, a total of 1,040 cases have been recorded nationwide, and 99 reportedly died. Of the reported number of fatalities, 38 were from Metro Manila, the latest report of the DOH revealed.
Duque, however, assured the health department is prepared for the spike in leptospirosis cases in the country.
“Handa ang ating mga hospital na pangasiwaan ang mga lepto[spirosis] case at sapat ang gamit [at] gamot. Ang daily reporting ay isinasagawa naman, at ang disinfection at decontamination at isolation ng mga pasyente,” he said.
(Our hospitals are ready to handle the cases of leptospirosis, and there are enough tools and medicines. The daily reporting is conducted properly as well as the disinfection, decontamination and isolation of patients.)
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the symptoms of leptospirosis in humans can include: high fever, muscle aches, vomiting, jaundice (yellow skin and eyes), and diarrhea, among others. /jpv