CEBU hospitals are now on high alert as they brace for a possible influx of suspected leptospirosis patients. Symptoms are beginning to surface among residents who waded through floodwaters or are currently cleaning their homes following flash floods triggered by typhoon Tino.
Two weeks after the typhoon’s onslaught, the Provincial Government remains vigilant amid a possible rise in cases, Health Consultant Elisse Nicole Catalan said on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025.
“We’ve been monitoring this. In our Cebu Provincial Hospital, we don’t really have many cases; most of the suspected cases and admissions are in Balamban. We’ve been anticipating this for a while already… The incubation period can be two to 20 days or even more. Now that we’re on day 14, this is the time when signs and symptoms start to appear,” Catalan said.
Early detection
Catalan said the Capitol has been aggressive in raising awareness and promoting early detection. She noted that leptospirosis is usually diagnosed clinically because its early symptoms — cramps, cough and colds — are similar to common illnesses. This has prompted widespread distribution of doxycycline, an antibiotic used to treat and prevent bacterial infections such
as leptospirosis.
“We’ve been quite aggressive with our first responders, giving them doxycycline. We’ve provided as much as we can to the LGUs, but the intake and compliance are also very important,” she added.
Task force activated
To prepare for a potential spike, the Capitol activated a leptospirosis task force on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, to oversee disease surveillance, case management, and coordination among LGUs, hospitals, and health partners.
Catalan said she has already gathered data from various hospitals but cannot release the figures yet, pending confirmation from the Department of Health (DOH) 7.
“Dili pa gyud ta ana ka taas nga number but vigilant lang gyud ta (We’re not yet at that high of a number, but we just really need to stay vigilant),” she said when asked if the situation is alarming.
A SunStar Cebu report on Monday, Nov. 17, noted that there were 23 confirmed leptospirosis cases in Cebu Province from Nov. 1 to 14, 2025, according to the DOH 7 data.
According to Catalan, with the creation of the task force, they have alerted both private and provincial hospitals to be on high alert for severe cases that may require dialysis.
“We’ve been in communication with our experts… Leptospirosis can be mild, moderate, or severe. For severe cases, part of the treatment is dialysis, and that’s one of the things we’re worried about because we don’t have that many hemodialysis machines. We’re really praying that we won’t reach that stage,” Catalan said.
Philhealth support
Catalan said the Province is coordinating with Philhealth to explore possible financial coverage for leptospirosis patients.
“We still have to talk to PhilHealth… During the earthquake, the national office issued a blanket approval where they shouldered all expenses for earthquake patients. So for this flooding, we’re also requesting PhilHealth — or the national government — to give us extra funds to cover leptospirosis cases, similar to what they did during the earthquake,” she said. / CDF