MANILA — The Philippines recorded 5,486 leptospirosis cases from Jan. 4 to Aug. 26, down 23% from 7,163 cases during the same period last year, the Department of Health (DOH) said.

DOH Undersecretary Gloria Balboa said the National Capital Region (NCR), Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon recorded the highest cumulative number of cases.

As of Aug. 27, Metro Manila had recorded 521 cases, including 158 patients admitted to San Lazaro Hospital, Balboa said during a press briefing in Quezon City.

The DOH expects hospital admissions to rise over the next two weeks due to the incubation period of the bacteria that causes leptospirosis, a disease commonly associated with exposure to floodwaters contaminated with animal urine.

To prepare for the expected increase, the DOH has activated dedicated leptospirosis fast lanes at 33 government-retained hospitals in affected regions.

The agency has also established inter-hospital referral networks to prevent overcrowding at tertiary hospitals.

Under the system, specialized facilities such as the National Kidney and Transplant Institute and Philippine General Hospital will coordinate step-down care for recovering patients, allowing critical care and dialysis capacity to remain available for severe cases.

DOH Assistant Secretary Lester Tan urged people who had waded through floodwaters to seek medical evaluation within 24 to 48 hours, regardless of whether they had open wounds or visible symptoms.

“Ang maagang diagnosis at treatment sa loob po ng dalawang araw mula na magsimula ang mga sintomas ay makakatulong po upang maiwasan ang mga komplikasyon ng sakit at ang pagkaka-ospital,” Tan said.

Untreated leptospirosis can lead to kidney failure, liver damage, meningitis and multi-organ failure, he said.

The DOH said government health centers, local government health facilities and DOH hospitals have adequate supplies of post-exposure prophylactic antibiotics, including doxycycline, which should be taken only under a physician’s prescription./PNA