MMDA bans swimming, playing in floodwaters

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has released a regulation banning swimming, playing, loitering, or unnecessary walking in floodwaters to avoid a spike in leptospirosis cases, Dano Tingcungco reported Sunday on 24 Oras weekend.

Leptospirosis is a potentially serious bacterial disease that may be acquired through exposure to contaminated floodwaters through cuts in the skin, or by swallowing bacteria directly from water or through food.

"Although the disease is commonly associated with rat urine, infection can also come from animals like cattle, pigs, horses, dogs, and wild animals," the Department of Health said. Its symptoms include flu-like symptoms like fever, chills, muscle pain, intense headache, and may sometimes lead to meningitis, liver damage and renal failure, or in some cases, death.

At San Lazaro Hospital in Manila, patients are being admitted for leptospirosis even though there were no recent storms or severe flooding in recent weeks.

“May mga bata kami na patient as young as 20 to 24 years old with severe leptospirosis [There are patients as young as 20 to 24 years old with severe leptospirosis]. This is the exposure that was brought after Carina. We have still to monitor those who are exposed during the [Severe Tropical Storm] Enteng baha [flood],” said Dr. Rontgene Solante, chairman of the Adult Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine unit of the San Lazaro Hospital.

“Mas mahaba ang exposure, mas mahaba ang risk,” he added.

(The longer the exposure, the higher the risk.) 

The Department of Health and physicians earlier warned the public against swimming in floodwaters.

The San Juan local government released an ordinance imposing a penalty on violators of the ban.

“Dapat alam niyo na bawal po ang paglalangoy sa tubig-baha at delikado ito para sa inyo,” San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora said.

(You should know that you are banned from swimming in floodwater and it is dangerous for you.)

The Metro Manila Council also passed a resolution that urged local governments in Metro Manila to release their own ordinances like San Juan.

Some of the people that GMA Integrated News interviewed said some people are too stubborn to follow the regulations, while for others going through floods is unavoidable.

“We have to make a distinction between necessity na lumusong sa baha at yung naliligo o nagsi-swimming talaga sa baha for recreational purpose,” MMDA Acting Chairman Romando Artes said.

(We have to distinguish between the necessity to walk through the flood and those who swim in floodwater for recreational purposes.)

Meanwhile, Zamora said they will not penalize those who are evacuating or saving their belongings from flood. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/BM, GMA Integrated News