POST-FLOODING SURVEILLANCE OF LEPTOSPIROSIS AFTER THE ONSLAUGHT OF TYPHOONS NESAT, NALGAE AND WASHI IN THE PHILIPPINES

• Published in: Southeast Asian journal of tropical medicine and public health Vol. 47; no. 4; p. 774
• Main Authors: Gloriani, Nina G, Villanueva, Sharon Yvette Angelina M, Yanagihara, Yasutake, Yoshida, Shin-ichi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bangkok Central Coordinating Board, SEAMEO-TROPMED Project 01.07.2016
• Subjects: Leptospira; Semaranga
• ISSN: 0125-1562

Due to the tropical climate of the Philippines, the country experiences at least 20 typhoons annually. Numerous cases of leptospirosis are reported as aftermaths of typhoons, especially after heavy flooding. In September 2011, two storms hit the upper regions of the country while in December of the same year, a storm struck the southern part of the Philippines. These storms resulted in widespread flooding in the affected areas. Due to this, surveillance of leptospirosis among residents of Regions I, III and X were conducted. A total of 190 persons (symptomatic and asymptomatic) participated in the post- flooding surveillance on leptospirosis. Ninety-four of the 190 participants were MAT-positive. Fifty-nine of the seropositives were symptomatic. Results also showed that symptomatic and asymptomatic males, farmers (agriculture), and those in the productive age group (21-40 years old), were the most affected in both the symptomatic and asymptomatic cases. The most common infecting Leptospira serovars were Patoc, Semaranga, Grippotyphosa, and Ratnapura, Copenhageni, and Poi in all the subjects.