By John Noel E. Herrera
Iloilo Province logged 128 leptospirosis cases with 10 fatalities from Jan 1 to Nov 26, 2022, a 228 percent increase compared to 39 confirmed cases with one death reported last year.
Data from Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO) indicated that Cabatuan town has the highest number of cases with 17 and one death, followed by Oton with 15, Maasin with 10, and Carles with seven cases and two deaths.
The town of Barotac Viejo also recorded five cases with two deaths; Leon, Tigbauan, Zarraga, and Miag-ao have five each; Pototan and Alimodian (four cases each); Passi City, Santa Barbara, Guimbal, Anilao, and San Joaquin (three each); Banate and San Miguel (three cases with one death each); Badiangan, Tubungan, Igbaras, and Mina (two cases each); Lambunao, Concepcion, and Leganes (two cases with one death each); and New Lucena, Sara, Lemery, Balasan Dumangas, Calinog, Barotac Nuevo, Dueñas, Janiuay, San Rafael, and Dingle with one case each.
Out of the 43 Local Government Units (LGUs) in the province, only seven remain free from leptospirosis cases so far – Ajuy, Batad, Bingawan, Estancia, Pavia, San Dionisio, and San Enrique.
IPHO attributed the spike in the number of cases to the recent typhoons that hit the province, as most of the towns were flooded during that time, leaving most of Ilonngos with no choice but to wade in rainwaters.
IPHO head Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon also reminded the public, especially the farmers, not to wade into rainwater or floods, and to avoid exposing open wounds to contaminated water.
“Malikawan naton ang leptospirosis kung hindi kita mag-wade sa tubig baha, pero kung ingkaso mag ubog gid man kita sa tubig-baha, kinahanglan gilayon nga mag-panghugas sang aton lawas, mag paligo gid, habunan maayo, kag magkadto gilayon sa aton health unit kung may pilas para maka-inom sang prophylaxis,” Colmenares-Quiñon previously said.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira that affects both humans and animals, and one becomes infected by it through direct contact with the urine of infected animals or with a urine-contaminated environment.
Early symptoms of Leptospirosis include high fever, severe headache, muscle pain, redness of the eyes, chills, abdominal pain, hemorrhages in the skin and mucous membrane, rashes, diarrhea, and vomiting.
