AS EARLY as last month, the Iloilo Provincial Health Office warned residents, especially farmers, against rising leptospirosis cases. From Jan. 1 to March 11, the province recorded 79 cases with two deaths – 690 percent more than the 10 cases recorded in the same period last year.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease. One becomes infected through direct contact with the urine of infected animals or with a urine-contaminated environment. Bacteria enter the body through cuts or abrasions on the skin or the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose and eyes.
Health advocates ascribe the rise in leptospirosis cases to uncollected garbage and to flooding. It actually boils down to the cleanliness of surroundings. To curb leptospirosis cases, the ecological management of discards is key. Poor waste management attracts rodent infestation and increases the risk of human exposure to the leptospirosis-causing bacteria transmitted through rat urine. Rats thrive in filthy surroundings such as garbage dumps where they go to find food, rest and hide.
The action must start right in every home. But of course, our barangay leaders have a crucial role in campaigning for the adoption of waste prevention and reduction measures to avoid garbage from piling up, as well as to avert flooding caused by trash-choked waterways.
Improper trash disposal can also obstruct canals and rivers causing flooding, which forces rats to flee floods and seek shelter on higher ground. This makes wading and swimming in flooded areas very dangerous as floodwaters may be contaminated with leptospira bacteria from infected rats.
Ecological solid waste management can help – not only in preventing leptospirosis but also in preventing cholera, dengue, gastroenteritis, typhoid fever and other common diseases during the rainy season.
This is why it is imperative for our barangays to help enforce Republic Act (RA) 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, which aims to protect public health and the environment from mismanaged discards.
