BACOLOD City – Amid the dry spell being experienced here, the City Health Office (CHO) of Bacolod has recorded its first death due to leptospirosis this year.
The fatality was a 32-year-old male, a vendor of dressed chicken, and a resident of Barangay Pahanocoy.
As of the Feb. 10 record of the CHO, there were two leptospirosis cases reported, including one death.
Dr. Grace Tan, head of the CHO’s Environment Sanitation Division, said the patient has a wound on his left foot.
The onset of his illness was on Jan. 2, and he got admitted to a hospital on Jan. 8, but expired on Jan. 12, she added.
Tan noted that the most common reasons for complications and death were delayed health-seeking behavior and denial of leptospirosis infection.
Leptospirosis is a disease caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira that affects humans and animals.
The most common causes are splashing contaminated water or urine into the eyes; swallowing contaminated water or flooding; and exposing open wounds to contaminated water or soil.
The same CHO record showed there were a total of 92 leptospirosis cases in 2023, with 16 deaths./PN
