A construction worker died from suspected leptospirosis in Bacolod City on July 22, 2024, after wading in flood water.
City Health Office (CHO) records showed the fatality, a 47-year-old male from Barangay Pahanocoy, had a history of wading in flood water on July 7 to 13.
Dr. Grace Tan, head of the CHO Environment Sanitation Division, said the onset of illness the victim was on July 17, and admitted to a hospital on July 22 because of difficulty breathing.
“Unfortunately, the patient did not survive and he was the fourth to succumb to leptospirosis this year,” she said.
Tan noted that the number of leptospirosis cases in Bacolod City dropped by 78.4 percent from January to July 27 this year compared to last year.
Tan said that they listed 11 leptospirosis cases, with four deaths, in the said period.
Last year, there were 51 cases with six fatalities in the same period.
Of the 11 cases, Barangays 35 and Pahanocoy topped the list with two cases each, followed by Barangays 6, Alijis, Pta. Taytay, Vista Alegre, Mansilingan, and Mandalagan with one case each.
Tan said the most common reasons for complications and death include health-seeking behavior and denial of leptospirosis exposure.
She said they were conducting information dissemination on appropriate garbage management and disposal to prevent the spread of leptospirosis.
Tan urged Bacolodnons with a history of wading or contact with water or ground possibly contaminated with leptospira in rat or animal urine to go to their nearest health center or private medical doctor for prophylaxis as soon as possible, segregate and manage garbage properly, and avoid wading or coming in contact with “tubig baha” or any damp, dirty ground or soil as this may have leptospira organisms./MAP