Leptospirosis claims another victim

ANOTHER resident of Barangay 2-A died due to leptospirosis, the City Health Office (CHO) reported Monday.

CHO head Dr. Josephine Villafuerte, in an interview over the phone, said the number of deaths caused by leptospirosis grew from four last week to five.

Villafuerte said the victim reside along Davao River on Magallanes Street, Davao City.

She also revealed that the total number of victims rose to 39, including the dead victims.

Villafuerte said most of the victims infected with leptospirosis come from the Poblacion area.

"So far no data of increase today," she told Sun. Star Davao.

Last week, the CHO recorded a total of 28 cases of leptospirosis from flooded areas in Davao City, four of whom have died.

Villafuerte said those who died due to leptospirosis were from Tugbok, Matina-Gravahan, Bacaca, and two from Barangay 2-A, areas hardest hit by floods on January 20 after Davao River overflowed due to continuous rainfall.

Leptospirosis is an infection that can be transmitted from animals, mostly rodents, through their urine, to humans with open wounds.

According to the Health Protection Agency, symptoms usually develop 7-21 days after initial infection with leptospires, though rarely the incubation period can be as short as two to three days or as long as 30 days.

Villafuerte said most of the victims were infected due to the flood incident that happened in the city last January 20.

She said infection with leptospirosis can cause no symptoms at all since it usually comes in a form of ordinary flu in which person infected may only suffer from headache and severe body pain.

"It could be treated. You just don't go to hospital late. If you go to hospital, tell the doctor na gikan ka sa naapektohan na lugar," Villafuerte said. (Arianne Caryl N. Casas)