DOH reports 43 leptospirosis deaths for past 3 weeks

MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday reported 523 new cases of leptospirosis in its hospitals from Aug. 8 to 13, with 43 deaths due to the water-borne disease for the past three weeks.

DOH spokesperson Albert Domingo said the tally is in addition to the 255 cases of leptospirosis recorded nationwide two weeks (July 25 to Aug. 7) after Super Typhoon Carina and the enhanced southwest monsoon dumped heavy rains, causing floods across the National Capital Region (NCR) and nearby provinces.

About 81 percent of the cases, or 423 are adults and 19 percent or 100 cases are young patients.

Eight patients are in mechanical ventilators, 243 are undergoing dialysis and 43 have died.

Domingo said most of the deaths are from the NCR – 41 of them are adults and two are children.

"Ito ang week na dumami ang patients sa (This is the week of increase in patients in the) National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) and San Lazaro Hospital," Domingo said in a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon interview.

The DOH has activated the surge capacity plan directing hospitals to allot more beds in their wards for leptospirosis patients amid the increase in cases.

"Or in the case of NKTI, instead of 100 kama lang, naglagay sila ng kama sa gym na malinis naman, para magkaroon ng dagdag na kapasidad na tanggapin ang ating mga pasyente (instead of 100 beds, they placed more beds in the gym, which is clean), for added capacity to accommodate patients)," Domingo said.

He assured the public that DOH hospitals have enough beds for leptospirosis cases and urged those with symptoms, particularly two weeks after being exposed to floodwaters, to seek medical assistance to avoid risk of death. (PNA)