DOH: Garbage issues worsen leptospirosis

Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro Herbosa. | INQUIRER.net  FILE PHOTO / Arnel Tacson

Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro Herbosa urged Metro Manila local governments to help address leptospirosis cases by attending to poor waste management, which increases the population of rats—the vector of the disease.

“[W]hen solid waste management is poor, the rodent population numbers increase. When the rodent population numbers increase, leptospirosis cases will increase,” the secretary said.

READ: Make plans for leptospirosis surge, DOH tells hospitals

Herbosa said he was planning to speak with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and the Metro Manila Council to “really talk to them about this problem of lepto because we cannot be keeping doing the same thing and warning and not do something significant.”

The Philippines has high leptospirosis cases along with India, the DOH head said, stressing that local cases can be managed through proper waste disposal.

“We should be able to control this. We are a city below sea level so it’s always flooded but if we keep our solid waste management and rodent population low, [we] shouldn’t be having this upsurge of leptospirosis cases a week after or two weeks after floods,” he noted.

Leptospirosis is an infectious disorder of animals and humans that can easily be transmitted from infected animals through their urine, either directly or through infected soil or water.

Without treatment, leptospirosis in people can lead to kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure, trouble breathing and even death. —JEROME ANING