The Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) reiterated its call for the public to avoid stepping on puddles and submerging in floodwater amid the rainy season and a report of one death and nine cases of leptospirosis in Bohol in a span of six months.
According to the DOH 7’s Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU), the lone leptospirosis fatality in 2018 was recorded in Ubay.
The other cases of the disease during the same period were recorded in Talibon and Trinidad.
In the entire Central Visayas, there have been 50 recorded leptospirosis cases including eight people who died of the disease in the first six months of 2018.
There were 45 leptospirosis cases in the region in the first half of 2017. However, nine died of the disease in the same period.
Based on the DOH data, Cebu City had the most number of leptospirosis cases and deaths among cities in the region with four deaths and seven cases.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, leptospirosis is caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira.
The bacteria that cause leptospirosis are spread through the urine of infected animals, which can get into water or soil and can survive there for weeks to months, it said.
For his part, Dr. Greg Julius Sodusta of the Provincial Health Office warned the public against submerging into floodwater and walking on puddles.
“Usually, mogawas na siya kanang tingflooding bitaw, ug makaduol ka mao nang matakdan ka,” Sodusta said.
According to Sodusta, leptospirosis symptoms include severe headache, renal failure, vomiting, abdominal pain, redness of the eyes and rashes.
Those who experience said symptoms should seek immediate medical attention, he said.
If left untreated, the disease can lead to death. (R. Tutas)