DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Three of the 31 persons suspected to have contracted leptospirosis since the deadly floods of June 28 in Talomo district here have died, according to a health official.
Dr. Cleo Fe Tabada, medical officer of the Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit of the Department of Health in Southern Mindanao, said all the victims were from the flooded areas of Matina Crossing, Matina Pangi, Matina Aplaya and Bangkal.
Tabada did not say when the deaths occurred.
But she added that all the victims showed similar symptoms, such as high fever and muscle pains, all indications of leptospirosis.
“These are diagnoses from doctors after patients showed similar symptoms of the disease, but they still have to be subjected to further tests for confirmation,” Tabada said.
Tabada said results from a laboratory test would take several days but doctors have already given the patients antibiotics to fight leptospirosis.
“The test is just to confirm suspicions,” she said.
Asked how the victims could have contracted the disease, Tabada said most of them suffered cuts during the floods, apparently contaminated by animal urine, principally rats and other rodents.
She said the bacteria might have entered the open wounds when the victims returned to their flooded homes even when water had not fully subsided yet.
“They did not know the risk of wading in infected water,” Tabada said.
In Kiblawan, Davao del Sur, a farmer drowned after being swept by a swollen river he was trying to cross amid heavy rains on Friday afternoon.
Police Officer 1 Neil Roy Manib, Kiblawan police investigator, said Ronald Monteliza, a resident of Barangay (village) Bunot, was crossing Mainit River to retrieve his farm animals from the other side when water suddenly rose and swept him away.
The victim’s body was retrieved two hours later.
With a report from Orlando Dinoy, Inquirer Mindanao