QC logs 43 leptospirosis cases in last week of July
According to the Epidemiology and Surveillance Division of the Quezon City Health Department (QCESD), the city has breached the epidemic threshold after recording 43 new cases from July 24 to 30 alone.
'Dahil sa pag-ulan noong mga nakaraang linggo, nakikita natin 'yung pagtaas ng kaso ng Leptospirosis. Aabot sa 178 kaso na ang naitala natin ngayong taon, halos 23% mas mataas sa recorded cases natin last year from January to July 30,' said Dr. Rolly Cruz, Epidemiology and Surveillance Division chief.
(Due to the downpour over the past weeks, we've seen an increase in leptospirosis cases. We have recorded 178 cases so far this year—about 23% higher than the number of cases recorded from January to July 30 last year.)
From July 17 to 30 (morbidity weeks 29–30), 67 cases were reported, exceeding the epidemic thresholds for both weeks.
Meanwhile, officials recorded 23 deaths due to leptospirosis, which is a 12% increase from the 18 deaths reported in the same period last year.
The QCESD report reveals that over half of the cases (99) had direct exposure to floodwaters, while 34 cases were linked to contact with other sources of contaminated water.
Leptospirosis is caused by bacteria spread through the urine or feces of infected animals, mostly rats, and affects both humans and animals.
The Quezon City gov't. urged residents exposed to floodwaters to take post-exposure prophylaxis, which includes free doxycycline treatment available in all 66 health centers across the city.
Residents were also advised to seek medical attention should they experience symptoms such as fever, vomiting, nausea, muscle pain, and headaches.
The Department of Health earlier said it is on alert for a projected rise in leptospirosis cases in the country following weeks of heavy rains and floods brought by the inclement weather. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
a day ago
- GMA Network
7 leptospirosis patients die in San Lazaro Hospital
The San Lazaro Hospital in Manila has recorded seven deaths due to leptospirosis in the first five days of August. According to Maki Pulido's Tuesday report on '24 Oras,' among the fatalities is a 16-year-old teenager who died due to acute renal or kidney failure. A doctor at San Lazaro noted that all seven fatalities waded through the floods caused by the continuous downpour brought by the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) and tropical cyclones. 'Napapansin namin na ang severity ng mga sakit ngayon medyo aggressive. Sa tingin namin na within two to seven days, nagkakaroon sila ng komplikasyon sa sa kidney, liver, respiratory system, o lungs. Nakikita namin na hindi na sila nakakaihi o hirap silang huminga. Kailangan namin i-ventilator,' said Dr. David Suplico, San Lazaro Hospital medical center chief. ('We've noticed that currently, the severity of illnesses is quite aggressive. We think that within two to seven days, patients are having complications in the kidneys, liver, respiratory system, or lungs. We've observed that they can no longer urinate or are having difficulty breathing. We need to put them on a ventilator.) As of August 5, 45 leptospirosis patients are confined at the San Lazaro Hospital, of which 15 are minors. Suplico noted that each case can already be considered a complicated case, as the patients' kidneys, lungs, and liver are affected. According to San Lazaro Hospital's data, most of the leptospirosis patients are from Metro Manila, Cavite, and Laguna, with most of them being from Manila. 'Usually, nakikita namin ito sa mga pasyente na riders na lumusong sa baha na may paltos ang mga paa at sila ay mga na-confine sa aming ospital,' Suplico said. (We usually observed that patients confined in our hospital are motorcycle riders who waded through floodwaters with blisters on their feet.) Four of the confined leptospirosis patients are in the intensive care unit. This included the husband of Marlyn Benitez, who, despite wanting to get prophylaxis, cannot do so because they cannot go to the health center due to the flood. Meanwhile, the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center in Marikina City logged 44 leptospirosis cases as of August 5, most of which are from the city. The Department of Health has recorded more than 500 leptospirosis cases in July 2025. However, there is still no data on how many have contracted leptospirosis due to the successive weather disturbances. Dr. Imelda Mateo of Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center reminded the public to wear boots when braving the flood or to take prophylaxis. 'Wag pong ipagsawalanag bahala kasi makakamatay ang leptospirosis (leptospirosis can be deadly, so take it seriously),' she said. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
4 days ago
- GMA Network
QC logs 43 leptospirosis cases in last week of July
The Quezon City government on Sunday reported 43 new leptospirosis cases as of the end of July, breaching its epidemic threshold following the continuous downpour brought by successive tropical cyclones and the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat). According to the Epidemiology and Surveillance Division of the Quezon City Health Department (QCESD), the city has breached the epidemic threshold after recording 43 new cases from July 24 to 30 alone. 'Dahil sa pag-ulan noong mga nakaraang linggo, nakikita natin 'yung pagtaas ng kaso ng Leptospirosis. Aabot sa 178 kaso na ang naitala natin ngayong taon, halos 23% mas mataas sa recorded cases natin last year from January to July 30,' said Dr. Rolly Cruz, Epidemiology and Surveillance Division chief. (Due to the downpour over the past weeks, we've seen an increase in leptospirosis cases. We have recorded 178 cases so far this year—about 23% higher than the number of cases recorded from January to July 30 last year.) From July 17 to 30 (morbidity weeks 29–30), 67 cases were reported, exceeding the epidemic thresholds for both weeks. Meanwhile, officials recorded 23 deaths due to leptospirosis, which is a 12% increase from the 18 deaths reported in the same period last year. The QCESD report reveals that over half of the cases (99) had direct exposure to floodwaters, while 34 cases were linked to contact with other sources of contaminated water. Leptospirosis is caused by bacteria spread through the urine or feces of infected animals, mostly rats, and affects both humans and animals. The Quezon City gov't. urged residents exposed to floodwaters to take post-exposure prophylaxis, which includes free doxycycline treatment available in all 66 health centers across the city. Residents were also advised to seek medical attention should they experience symptoms such as fever, vomiting, nausea, muscle pain, and headaches. The Department of Health earlier said it is on alert for a projected rise in leptospirosis cases in the country following weeks of heavy rains and floods brought by the inclement weather. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
5 days ago
- GMA Network
DOH warns vs. expected rise in PH leptospirosis cases
The Department of Health (DOH) is now on alert for a projected rise in leptospirosis cases in the country following weeks of heavy rains and floods due to three tropical cyclones and the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat. In an advisory on Saturday, the Health Department reported that it has already logged 3,037 leptospirosis cases from January 1 to July 19. Of this number, a total of 1,114 cases were recorded since June 8—about a week after weather bureau PAGASA declared the start of the rainy season. From July 13 to 31, hospitals run by the DOH had 569 cases. Leptospirosis, which can lead to death in severe cases, 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 human body of people wading through floods. The DOH warned Filipinos to take following health precautions against the disease: wash your body with soap, especially parts of the body submerged in floods monitor yourself for possible symptoms even without symptoms, consult a health professional if exposed to floodwater drink medicine against leptospirosis only upon the prescription of a doctor — VDV, GMA Integrated News
