The leptospirosis outbreak came days after Tropical Storm Sendong devastated Northern Mindanao and parts of the Visayas last month, killing over 1,200 people. The outbreak of a flood-borne disease is killing people who had survived the disaster that struck the two cities at the height of the storm, according to local authorities.
At least 15 people died of leptospirosis and 400 others have been admitted to hospital ill. They have been taken to hospitals during the last week.
Leptospirosis is a fatal animal-borne disease that can result in high fever, internal bleeding and organ failure. The upsurge of the flood-borne disease is thought to be the failure of survivors to take antibiotics (doxycycline) distributed to them immediately after the Dec. 17 deluge.
As local hospitals continued to receive leptospirosis patients among “Sendong” survivors, many evacuees failed to heed the advice of health officials to take the antibiotic before they wade in the floods.
One way of avoiding leptospirosis is to wear protective gear like wellington boots and rubber gloves when working in muddy or flooded areas. Obviously this is not always possible for survivors of the flood.
As people become aware of the importance of doxycycline in the rising cases of the disease, the supply of the antibiotic is becoming scarce. Several pharmacies in the two flood-ravaged cities admitted running out of doxycycline.
One of the benefits of doxycycline is that it is used commonly as an antimalaria prevention, and also can help against the onset of traveller’s diarrhoea.
More information: http://www.travelclinic.ltd.uk/