DOH: Wading through floodwaters can cause leptospirosis even without wounds

The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday urged the public to seek medical advice after wading through floodwaters, regardless of whether they have open wounds.

The country has recorded 5,486 leptospirosis cases from January to August 26, 2026, according to DOH Undersecretary Gloria Balboa.

“May sugat man o wala, at may sintomas man o wala, ay dapat po na pumunta na sa pinakamalapit na health center para maagapan at mabigyan ng tamang advice ng ating mga health workers,” Balboa said.

(Whether you have a wound or not, whether or not you have symptoms, you should go to the nearest health center to seek treatment early and be given the right advice by our health workers.)

Balboa explained that there are three different risk levels. A person is low-risk if he wades through a flood but does not have any cuts, and a person is at moderate risk if he wades through a flood with an open wound.

A high-risk person is someone who repeatedly wades through floods. Balboa said that this was why most leptospirosis cases affect adults—they were likely working.

National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) Executive Director Dante Dator said that there are preventive measures.

“Ang sagot ko po sa tanong na kapag nalusong, prophylaxis po, automatic po yun, kahit wala kayo naramdaman. Mas simple po yung prophylaxis or preventive kaysa sa maghintay ka ng sintomas,” Dator said,

(My answer is when someone wades, it is prophylaxis, automatically, even if you do not feel anything. Prophylaxis is easier and it is preventive, rather than waiting for symptoms.)

"Once you have symptoms, you are already sick and you might have to get confined," Dator said.

Prophylaxis is medication taken to prevent a disease. For leptospirosis, this is doxycycline. —LDF, GMA News