The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday said 1,770 cases of leptospirosis were logged from January 1 to August 27 of this year.
In a statement, the DOH said this is 36 percent higher compared to the reported cases in the same period last year with 1,299 cases recorded.
Among the regions with the most leptospirosis cases were National Capital Region (NCR), Western Visayas, and Cagayan Valley, according to the DOH.
From July 31 to August 27, the Health Department said 327 cases were recorded. The NCR, Davao Region, and Western Visayas had the highest number of cases during that period.
The DOH said 244 fatalities were recorded. Meanwhile, Cagayan Valley, Bicol Region, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Davao Region, and Cordillera Administrative Region have breached the “alert and epidemic threshold” within the past morbidity weeks from July 31 to August 27.
The DOH, however, said, “no clustering” was reported nationwide.
DOH officer-in-charge Undersecretary Maria Rosario earlier advised the public to wear boots when wading in floodwater, wash their feet after contact with floodwater, and get checked by a healthcare professional in case of symptoms.
Among the symptoms of leptospirosis are high fever, muscle pain, eye redness, chills, severe headache, vomiting, diarrhea, or yellowish skin discoloration.