Olongapo leptospirosis toll: 6 dead, 200 sick

OLONGAPO CITY—The aftermath of record floods in this city in Zambales province last month has claimed more lives due to the outbreak of leptospirosis.

The number of patients being treated for leptospirosis at the James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital (JLGMH) has surged to more than 200, with at least six deaths here and in the nearby town of Subic, said Dr. Jesse Jewel Manuel, JLGMH administrator.

Manuel said the city health department declared an outbreak of leptospirosis in the city on Tuesday.

The Department of Health (DOH) said leptospirosis is an infection commonly transmitted to humans from water contaminated by animal urine, usually rats, and comes in contact with cuts or wounds, eyes or with the mucous membranes.

Early symptoms of leptospirosis include fever, chills and severe headache. The DOH said these appear four to 14 days after exposure to contaminated floodwater or mud.

JLGMH records identified the five fatalities as Frederick Pascua, 20, a resident of Mangan Vaca in Subic; Daryl Mendoza, 23, of Barangay (village) Sta. Rita here; Jesus Bautista, 56, of Barangay Kababae; Ricardo Maneres, 59, of Barangay Banicain; and Ricardo Johnson, 69, of Barangay West Bajac-bajac.

Manuel said the sixth fatality sought treatment at the St. Jude Hospital.

He said the six victims were already in the late stages of the disease when they sought hospital treatment. Their skin, he said, were yellowish and they complained of severe stomachache and difficulty in urinating.

Manuel said majority, or about 70 percent, of those afflicted with the disease are males, between 20 and 65 years old.

“That’s probably because they are fathers who were left cleaning after the flood on Sept. 23 or who couldn’t leave their damaged homes because they needed to secure them,” he said.

The Inquirer also learned that some of those confined in the JLGMH were rescue workers and residents who helped their neighbors at the height of the flooding.

“I am here today because we were told to help with the cleanup in the city. Now, I am paying for it. I don’t know what will happen. I can no longer go to work,” a local government employee, who was confined in the JLGMH, told the Inquirer.

Ronald Rondez, an employee of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, whose mother, sister and other relatives were being treated for leptospirosis, said the cleanup in the city has yet to be finished.

“When it rains, it becomes muddy again, and the [disease-causing microorganisms] in the canals mix with the mud. When people step on the mud while they are cleaning their houses or walking, they could get infected,” he said.

“We’ve tried asking the local government, even through Facebook, to hasten the cleanup. Even those who have construction firms should help us because they have the equipment. People here are getting sick because of the dirt in the streets and canals,” he said.

Manuel said the JLGMH is capable of handling leptospirosis cases but the number of patients overwhelmed hospital personnel. Robert Gonzaga, Inquirer Central Luzon