LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — The Pangasinan Provincial Health Office (PHO) has advised the public to take precautionary measures against leptospirosis as the number of cases has risen.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Anna Teresa De Guzman, in an interview on Thursday, confirmed that seven have already died due to leptospirosis this year.
Leptospirosis cases totaled 41 from January to June 11 this year, 17 percent higher than the 35 cases on the same period last year.
De Guzman said Dagupan City has the highest recorded number of cases with 11, followed by Sual with four; Manaoag with three; and Laoac, Bolinao, Urdaneta City and Umingan with two cases each.
Alaminos, Bani, Aguilar, Mangatarem, Urbiztondo, Binmaley, Mangaldan, San Fabian, San Jacinto, Sta. Barbara, Binalonan, Pozorrubio, Sison, Villasis and San Nicolas have one case each.
She added that most of the victims were between 50 to 54 years old males.
“We have intensified our advocacy campaign on maintaining cleanliness of surroundings and proper waste disposal. The causative agent of leptospirosis is lepra, which comes from rat’s urine infected with lepra,” de Guzman said.
She stressed the need to use boots when going through flooded areas or stagnant waters, or in muddy soil like in the rice field, as leptospirosis can also be present in mud.
De Guzman also urged the public to immediately consult a doctor if they have been experiencing flu-like symptoms for three to four days.
“They should not self-medicate, instead, they should go to the nearest health center or hospital for medical check-up and for appropriate medication,” she said.
De Guzman further disclosed that the most common cause of death among victims was the late diagnosis of the disease.
“They go to the hospital when it is already at its worst stage, like when they could no longer urinate or their urine is already tea-colored, which might already need dialysis because of renal failure,” she said.
De Guzman added PHO ensures the availability of medicine and additional qualified doctors to address the need of patients in the province. (Hilda Austria/PNA)
