Leptospirosis kills at least 210 people as more outbreaks surface in northern Philippines
Philippines, Oct 30, 2009
The Philippine Department of Health (DoH) continues to be on "heightened alert" as leptospirosis makes its way around flood-ravaged northern cities caused by back-to-back typhoons in September, the Philippine's Daily Inquirer reported on Wednesday (October 28). As of Wednesday, the WHO Philippines Health Cluster Situation Report stated that leptospirosis had caused at least 210 deaths nationwide since Tropical Storm Ketsana (Typhoon Ondoy) struck the northern Philippines. They also report the number of cases at 2,894. The alert was issued due to the number of leptospirosis cases recorded tripling to 2,158 compared to the number of cases reported last year, which was 769, Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, program manager for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases division of the DoH, said on Tuesday (October 27). While the health cluster report noted the death toll as 210 as of Wednesday, Inquirer.net reported 167 on Tuesday. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III noted on Wednesday that the initial outbreak in Marikina had subsided, but an outbreak had been declared in the towns of Aringay, Bauang and Naguilland in La Union province. Pangasinan had three towns under observations for possible outbreaks. The Health Cluster team has distributed leptospirosis prophylaxis to 181,932 individuals. Also, the WHO team, consisting of experts in leptospirosis control, epidemiology and clinical management of the disease that was dispatched last week, has started their field mission. WHO regional director for the Western Pacific region, Dr. Shin Young-Soo, told the Inquirer.net that the experts would identify the strain of leptospira bacteria causing the outbreak. Additionally, WHO country representative Dr. Soe Nyunt-U said the WHO has provided the DoH about US$1 million worth of medical supplies, essential medicines and health kits for the evacuees. Hyunt-U was quoted by the Inquirer.net, saying, "We are raising US$3.6 million for sterile kits and health kits. But WHO is raising an overall amount of US$15 million for the whole health cluster efforts." Lee Suy has urged Filipinos, even those who have been cured, to not wade in murky flood waters because an individual is not immune from the bacteria if he or she has contracted it before. The inundated city has also caused health officials to heighten their surveillance system for leptospirosis, and dengue all-year-round, and other diseases, such as cholera, typhoid fever, diarrhea and pneumonia, which put people in danger especially where there is a lack of sanitation and potable water. Leptospirosis is a deadly bacterial infection that is transmitted when water contaminated with animal urine comes into contact with unhealed breaks in the skin, eyes or mucous membranes, causing fever, red skin rash, general weakness, headaches, muscle and joint pains, vomiting and fatigue.
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