MANILA, Philippines – The death toll from leptospirosis infection in the calamity-devastated areas of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan reached 15 while over 400 others were infected, a local official said today.
Emiliano Galban Jr., spokesman of the Department of Health in Northern Mindanao region, said eight of the fatalities came from Cagayan de Oro while seven from Iligan.
The health official added that a total of 303 leptospirosis infections were recorded in Cagayan de Oro, while 118 more were reported in Iligan.
The local offices of the Department of Health have already boosted the distribution of free antibiotics in the area, but they expect that the cases of the deadly disease will still increase.
On Monday, the DOH declared the area under leptospirosis outbreak, a fatal animal-borne disease that can result in high fever, internal bleeding and organ failure.
Leptospirosis outbreak came days after Tropical Storm Sendong devastated Northern Mindanao and parts of the Visayas last month, killing over 1,200 people.