Philippines: Leptospirosis in Caraga region
Officials with the Department of Health-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) Caraga report a concern over the leptospirosis serious health risk.
According to the section head of the Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (RESU), Doctor Amethyst Kathleen Alicante, reports from January 1 to May 31 of the current year, 223 cases of leptospirosis have been recorded in the entire region.
Surigao del Sur province recorded the highest number of leptospirosis cases with 76 or 34 percent of the total cases in the region. This was followed by Agusan del Sur with 45 cases and Surigao del Norte with 38.
Alicante noted, “A year-to-year comparison of last year and this year’s data illustrated even more alarming numbers as the volume of leptospirosis infections in the three provinces ballooned this year with a 407 percent increase in Surigao del Sur, 125 percent in Agusan del Sur, and 680 percent increment in the province of Surigao del Norte.”
“Residents situated in low-lying areas should be vigilant in times of flooding. This will not only cause possible damage to their properties, but the diseases they can get could also be very harmful—such as leptospirosis,” explained Alicante.
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Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection caused by the Leptospira bacteria. It spreads through contact with water or soil contaminated with the urine of infected animals, such as rodents, livestock, and pets. In the case of Caraga, leptospirosis is more commonly caused by infected household rodents.