Despite August floods, Marikina is leptospirosis-free

Prompt distribution of medicine kept Marikina City leptospirosis-free despite heavy flooding brought by monsoon rain last August.

 

Marikina City Mayor Del De Guzman credited this to the city health office's prompt distribution of doxycycline prophylaxis, the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) reported.

 

“We consider this a success, since riverside communities in seven of the 16 barangays of the city were submerged by flood water when Marikina was hit by Habagat yet we managed to keep our city leptospirosis-free,” de Guzman said. 

 

Doxycycline prophylaxis is used to prevent and cure leptospirosis. It was distributed in evacuation centers along with informational flyers about the disease.

 

Last August, heavy rain brought by the monsoon enhanced by Tropical Storm Maring swamped most of Luzon, including Metro Manila. The PIA said the Marikina City Health Office distributed Doxycycline prophilaxis to 2,436 people between August 21 and 30.

 

"During the peak of the monsoon rains, the number of evacuees in different evacuation centers in Marikina City reached 30,000 individuals," the PIA added.

 

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that may spread through water contaminated by the urine of infected animals. It may lead to serious health problems such as kidney damage, or liver failure, and could be deadly in some cases. – KDM, GMA News