• CHERYL G. CRUZ
A 20-year-old male from Barangay Sum-ag is the sixth leptospirosis fatality in Bacolod, the City Health Office (CHO) said last night, June 22.
He was diagnosed with moderate leptospirosis, with acute kidney injury secondary to multiple electrolyte imbalance, admitted June 8, and died the following day, the CHO added.
The patient had “history of swimming in the river less than a week prior to the onset of fever, and experienced fever, joint pain, vomiting, and nausea six days prior to admission, medicated with paracetamol, sought consultation, and was advised to hydrate.”
The patient’s symptoms were relieved, but experienced continued headaches and recurrent fever, the CHO said, adding that diarrhea with vomiting was also experienced two days prior to admission.
This year’s leptospirosis cases increased by 50 percent, or 12 cases with six deaths, compared to the eight cases with two deaths in the same period in 2024, the CHO said.
The five other deaths were logged in barangays Handumanan, 21, Bata, Banago, and Villamonte.
The CHO and the Department of Health have been reminding everyone to seek medical attention if exposed to floodwater, even if there are no wounds, since leptospirosis symptoms may appear from an average of two weeks up to 30 days later.
Seek early medical consultation to ensure timely treatment and prevent complications if you experience any symptom, like fever or feeling feverish/chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue, and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea, they added.
Leptospirosis, a common disease during the rainy season, is caused by infected rats and contaminated soil and water, among others. Residents in flood-prone areas, or those with history of wading in floodwater, are susceptible to contracting it, the DOH stressed. | CGC
