Herbosa eyes banning children from swimming in flood waters

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa on Monday said he will recommend to local chief executives to prohibit people, particularly children, from swimming in flood waters due to the risk of getting leptospirosis. 

Herbosa said this in light of the rising cases of leptospirosis weeks after the severe flooding in some areas due to the heavy rains brought by Typhoon Carina and the enhanced Southwest Monsoon.

This has prompted the Department of Health (DOH) to order the activation of the surge capacity plan in hospitals under its supervision in the National Capital Region. 

“Dapat talaga mapigilan na ang pag-swimming sa flood waters kasi madumi talaga siya. At ito nangyayari. Siguro nakakalimutan ng mga tao kasi it happens three weeks later,” Herbosa said in an ambush interview. 

(Swimming in flood waters should be prohibited because it is really dirty. Maybe people forget about leptospirosis infection because symptoms show up three weeks after exposure.) 

“Kakausapin ko ang MMDA, make sure na ma-regulate siguro ‘yan na ipagbawal ng mga local chief executives ‘yung mga bata at saka mga taong nasa tubig baha nakatambay lang. Make sure na ma-protect ang kanilang health. Hindi dapat tayo nagkakaron ng ganitong outbreak,” he added. 

(I will talk to MMDA for this to be regulated. The local chief executives should prohibit the children and other people from leisurely wading through flood water. They should ensure protecting their constituents’ health. This outbreak should not be happening.) 

Herbosa said he also plans to talk with Education Secretary Sonny Angara to start educating children that they should not be wading through floods.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection transmitted by animals such as rodents. Urine from infected rats could mix with floodwater during heavy rains, and could therefore enter the body of people wading through floods.

Its symptoms include fever, vomiting, nausea, muscle pain, and headaches.

The incubation period of leptospirosis may range from two to 30 days, usually showing symptoms around one to two weeks after exposure to contaminated flood waters.

The DOH has called on those who waded through floods amid the heavy rains to immediately consult with a healthcare professional regardless if they have symptoms or not.

4 dead

According to Herbosa, at least four people have reportedly died due to leptospirosis recently. 

“Mataas ang mortality ng lepto lalo na kung late na sila na-diagnose,” he explained.

(The mortality rate of leptospirosis is high especially if they are diagnosed late.) 

DOH spokesperson Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo confirmed these were deaths reported in the aftermath of Typhoon Carina.

"As they are indicative numbers, we do not have the complete information yet," he told GMA News Online.

DOH earlier said 67 leptospirosis cases were logged from July 14-27, but there are likely to be only delayed reports.

A total of 1,444 leptospirosis cases were recorded this year from January 1 to July 27. This was 42% lower compared to the 2,505 cases in the same period last year.

There have also been 162 deaths due to leptospirosis so far this year.

With this, he said he will also suggest to the MMDA to have better solid waste management to keep rats away. 

“‘Pag merong nagkakalat ng sakit, dadami ang sakit. So ‘pag dumadami ang daga, dumadami ang lepto. So bakit dumadami ang daga? Solid waste management ‘yan,” the DOH chief said. 

(When something spreads disease, the disease will increase. So when there are more rats, the leptospirosis cases will rise. Why are there many rats? That's a problem of solid waste management.) 

“So ang feeling ko, dapat maayos natin during the rainy season, wala dapat nakatambak ng solid waste. Di ba dapat nahahakot agad 'yan, nadadala sa wherever kailangan dalhin ‘yan. At ‘pag maraming solid waste, dumadami rin ang daga kasi may nakakain sila,” he continued. 

(I feel that we should fix this. During the rainy season, the solid wastes should not just be piled up anywhere. They must be taken for proper disposal. When there is a lot of solid waste, rats also increase because they have something to eat.) 

The DOH on Sunday assured the public that doxycycline used in treating leptospirosis is readily available in the market and health centers, but suspected leptospirosis cases need to consult first with a doctor and obtain a prescription for the drug.

Doxycycline is prescribed both as a prophylaxis and treatment for leptospirosis. Currently, a price freeze is in effect for this drug until September 23.—AOL, GMA Integrated News