Leptospirosis patients to get doxicycline

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) will distribute five million doxicycline capsules in 39 barangays in Metro Manila identified with leptospirosis cases.

DOH National Capital Region epidemiologist Dr. Anthony San Juan said the distribution of the doxicycline capsules, an antibiotic drug, would also accompany the prophylactic treatment of infected residents in the effort to contain a possible outbreak.

San Juan added pregnant women and children below eight years old would not be treated due to possible side effects.

San Juan explained doxicylcine is an anti-retroviral treatment primarily used to lessen the likelihood of developing or acquiring a disease. He said the procedure is generally used by medical workers to lessen the risk of getting infected.

At the height of the Influenza A(H1N1) epidemic, doxicycline was administered to infected individuals to help them recover. Health workers and relatives attending to infected patients were also made to take the antibiotic to protect them against getting infected.

Under the plan, two doxicycline capsules would be given to residents who are still affected by flooding.

San Juan said affected residents would have to take the capsules every week until they are no longer exposed to floodwaters.

Those who have had single exposure would be given a single dose, he said.

San Juan said a total of 39 barangays have been identified to have high concentration of leptospirosis cases.

The DOH identified the critical areas in Marikina City with eight barangays, Parañaque City with six barangays; Pasig City and Taguig with five each; Muntinlupa City, Makati City and Pasay City with three each; Caloocan City and Quezon City with two each, and San Juan with the town of Navotas with one each.

San Juan reiterated the warning against wading in floodwater.

“If their area is still submerged in floodwater, it’s better if they can transfer but I know this is not easy. So if they can’t avoid wading through floodwaters, they have to wear protective gears. We should not be complacent when it comes to leptospirosis,” San Juan said.

The DOH said 138 people have died from the total of 1,887 leptospirosis cases reported in Metro Manila as of Oct. 20.

Chief epidemiologist Dr. Enrique Tayag said the outbreak of leptospirosis in Metro Manila is not the highest in the country but the whole world.

According to Tayag, the outbreak prompted Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to issue a distress call for help from the international community to address the problem.

“We have also ready sent an SOS to the international community because this is the one of the biggest outbreaks not just in the Philippines but in the world,” Tayag told the Senate committee investigating the health impact of the two typhoons that ravaged Metro Manila and the provinces of Northern Luzon in the last four weeks.

Tayag said the reported number of leptospirosis cases in Metro Manila is exceedingly high since the average of reported cases from 2004 to 2008 only reached 680 with 40 recorded deaths.

For the period of Oct. 1 to 15 this year alone, the DOH has recorded 1,887 cases in 15 government hospitals alone. A total of 138 people died of the disease, which became prevalent due to the tons of garbage that were washed away with rats during the height of the typhoons.

The spike in leptospirosis cases caught the DOH flatfooted since the agency was cash strapped to deal with the increasing cases of water-borne infection.

Tayag told the Senate committee led by Sen. Loren Legarda that the DOH is still awaiting the release of additional funds from the Department of Budget and Management to deal with the problem.

Tayag also announced the DOH would be distributing doxicycline to areas identified with high cases of leptospirosis.

Tayag said the onset of the two typhoons left the country in the “acute stages” of extreme health cases.

He said the diseases borne out of the death and destruction left by the two typhoons are the “indirect” outcome of climate change. – With Christina Mendez