DOH to study numbers for possible leptospirosis outbreak

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Thursday said the Department of Health (DOH) will study data from the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) and other hospitals to determine if there is a need to declare a leptospirosis outbreak.

"Aaalamin ko kung ano yung threshold, kasi di ko maalala, ang daming mga sakit, kung kailangan mag-deklara ng outbreak. Meron kasing standards for the declaration of outbreaks," he said after a forum at San Juan City.

Six of 44 patients brought to the National Kidney and Transplant Institute between June 22 and June 26 have died of the disease.

The NKTI noted that the number of leptospirosis patients admitted on these dates surpassed the number of patients with the same disease for the whole year of 2017.

Leptospirosis is a possibly fatal bacterial disease that affects humans and animals alike. It is caused by the spiral-shaped Leptospira bacteria, which spread through the urine of infected animals. According to the World Health Organization, floods "can potentially increase the transmission" of a water-borne disease like leptospirosis.

"Ang problema natin dito, yung ibang kababayan natin, ang hirap-hirap maniwala sa mga abiso ng DOH na pagka tubig-baha, ay 'wag hayaang malulob ang kanilang paa. Mag-bota ka," Duque said.

The secretary said the NKTI, which began admitting patients in a gym due to a lack of space inside their wards, will discuss the redistribution of patients to nearby hospitals later in the day.

Duque said it was also possible that the deceased sought medical help well after contracting the disease.

He reminded the public, especially those with cuts on their legs and feet, to refrain from wading in flood water as it may have urine from animals with the Leptospira bacteria.

"Ang pakiusap ko sa mga nanay, tatay, sa ating pong mga kababayan, kung sa tingin niyo kayo po nalublob yung paa niyong may alipunga, may sugat, at nalublob sa baha, ay pumunta na kayo sa pinakamalapit niyong ospital o pagamutan," he said.

In the meantime, boxes of doxycycline for prophylaxis against leptospiral infection have been distributed to areas at risk. — BM, GMA News