Leptospirosis cases on the rise in Cebu City after Typhoon Tino

Cases of leptospirosis are rising in Cebu City following the floods brought by Typhoon Tino. 

According to the report of GMA Regional TV’s Lou Anne Mae Rondina on “24 Oras” on Thursday, data by the Cebu Integrated Provincial Health Office showed that there are currently 23 leptospirosis cases in the province. 

Dominador Apa-ap, 57, is currently confined in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Cebu after being diagnosed with severe leptospirosis.

His family recalled that their patriarch had a fever that lasted for a week after the typhoon hit their province. He was brought to the hospital but was later discharged after being initially diagnosed with pneumonia. 

However, Dominador’s condition only got worse. 

“He was seeking help because he was feeling cold. To breathe, he had to shout,” said his son John Martin Apa-ap. 

His family believes that he could have gotten the infection after wading through water on his way to work as a construction worker. 

There were also fatalities logged after being infected with the leptospirosis-causing bacteria. Among them was 27-year-old Jerwin Carl Abellana who died last Sunday. 

His partner shared that Jerwin was brought to the hospital due to a fever last November 13. But his condition did not get better as his kidneys and lungs collapsed. 

“The doctor told us that he needed to be given a fourth medication to pump his heart, but when he was given the sixth one, the doctors could not do anything about it and he died,” said Berna Sangilan.

Doctors warn that leptospirosis cases are expected to appear during this time as the incubation period since the flooding has already ended. 

“When symptoms like fever, headache, body pain appear, do not disregard them, especially when eyes turn yellow. Keep an eye on that,” said Capitol health consultant Elisse Nicole Catalan. 

“So, we have signs and symptoms after exposure to flood water. Definitely, do not wait for things to worsen because it can be treated immediately,” she added. 

If exposed to flood water, Catalan advised the public to visit their local health centers for prophylaxis prescription. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/LDF, GMA Integrated News