The Department of Health said leptospirosis cases in the first six months of the year went up by 13 percent from the same period last year.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the country logged 589 leptospirosis infections from January to June 19, compared to 520 cases for the same period in 2020.
“One can get infected with the disease if you have open wounds especially in your feet or legs. You can be infected with it if you soak in flood waters,” Vergeire said.
The fatality rate for the first semester stood at 11.4 percent.
The Cordillera Autonomous Region, Western Visayas, and Cagayan Valley recorded the highest incidence rates, Vergeire said.
Symptoms of leptospirosis include headache, high fever, muscle pain, cough, diarrhea, and vomiting, among others.
