DOH lifts lepto outbreak alerts as number of infected declines
Citing a substantial decrease in the number of cases, the Department of Health (DOH) lifted Saturday leptospirosis alerts in areas hit by recent tropical cyclones. LEPTOSPIROSIS 101 Leptospirosis
* a bacterial infection caused by a corkscrew-shaped bacterium called leptospira * occurs through direct contact with the urine of infected animals or by contact with a urine-contaminated environment such as surface water, floodwater, soil, and plants * affects both humans and animals * leptospira have been found in rats, insectivores, dogs, cats, cattle, pigs and horses * bacteria enter through broken skins, through eyes, nose or mouth exposed to contaminated water although less frequently through animal bites, handling infected animal tissues or swallowing contaminated food or water * an occupational hazard for people who work outdoors or with animals, such as rice and sugar-cane field workers, farmers, sewer workers, veterinarians, dairy workers and military personnel * a recreational hazard to those who swim or wade in contaminated waters. In endemic areas the number of leptospirosis cases may peak during the rainy season and even may reach epidemic proportions in case of flooding.
SYMPTOMS
Incubation period for the bacteria lasts 7 to 12 days. During this period, the following symptoms may be felt (although sometimes it can also be asymptomatic):
* high fever * severe headache * chills * muscle pain * vomiting * jaundice * redness in the eyes * abdominal pain * hemorrhages in skin and mucous membranes (including pulmonary bleeding) * diarrhea * rash
However, if these aren't treated, they may develop into kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure, and respiratory distress. PREVENTION
* reduce the rat population with the destruction of their habitats -- maintain a clean home * avoid immersion in natural waters such as rivers, lakes and canals * avoid immersion in floods * use protective footwear or clothing when immersion to natural waters or floods is inevitable * provide clean drinking water
Related link: Prevention and Control of Food and Waterborne Diseases
Source: GMA News Research, Department of Health, World Health Organization
Government-run dzRB radio reported Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases program manager Lyndon Lee Suy said there was a major decline of the disease in past weeks.
The Department of Health (DOH) had tapped private hospitals to help treat leptospirosis cases in the wake of tropical cyclones 'Ondoy' (Ketsana) and 'Pepeng' (Parma).
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier said the towns affected by leptospirosis outbreaks are Rosales, Mangaldan and Binmaley in Pangasinan, and Bauang, Aringay, and Naguilian in La Union. Several areas in the two provinces were heavily flooded when Typhoon Pepeng hit northern Luzon in early October.
According to Duque, the outbreak of leptospirosis in Marikina City "has passed already." The city, along with other parts of Metro Manila, was flooded in late September due to Pepeng.
The DOH said it could end up spending P13.8 million for the 1.3 million people believed to have been exposed to the Leptospira bacterium after wading through Ondoy’s floods.
An exposed individual who is eligible to receive the drug will be given 200 mg of doxycycline, which costs P3.20 and could protect him or her for a week.
Floods brought by the two cyclones caused several cases of leptospirosis in northern and southern Luzon, as Filipinos waded through floodwaters.
Lee Suy credited the help of private hospitals in bringing down the cases of leptospirosis, the dzRB report said.
More than 100 died due to leptospirosis in the past weeks.
Dr. Yolanda Oliveros, director of the National Center for Disease Prevention and Control (NCDPC), earlier told GMANews.TV that outbreak levels vary from one area to another.
“An outbreak is defined by an area’s five-year average threshold," Oliveros said. This means that an outbreak will only be declared when the number of cases for a particular area becomes higher than the average number of cases for the last five years.
Leptospirosis usually takes two weeks after infection to manifest flu-like symptoms. If not diagnosed early enough, it can lead to meningitis, liver damage, or death. Nearly one in ten afflicted so far have died, a high mortality rate for any disease.
Despite the higher mortality rate this year compared to the same period last year, Duque said the Philippines’ leptospirosis situation is still considered at the “low end" in Asia. - GMANews.TV