THE Department of Health ascribed the rise in leptospirosis cases to uncollected garbage and to flooding due to continuous rains.
Indeed, poor waste management attracts rodent infestation and increases the risk of human exposure to the leptospirosis-causing bacteria transmitted through rat urine.
As the number of leptospirosis cases soars, ecological management of discards is a must. In the barangays people may adopt waste prevention and reduction measures to avoid garbage from piling up, as well as to avert flooding caused by trash-choked waterways. Rats thrive in filthy surroundings such as garbage dumps where they go to find food, rest and hide.
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.
This is why, according to the EcoWaste Coalition, it is imperative for our barangays led by freshly-elected officials to help in enforcing Republic Act (RA) 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act which aims to protect public health and the environment from mismanaged discards.
Among other things, RA 9003 requires the country’s over 42,000 barangays to develop an ecological solid waste management program, promote waste segregation, implement a segregated collection for biodegradable and non-biodegradable discards, and set up Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) in every barangay or cluster of barangays.
According to the World Health Organization, leptospirosis can be transmitted to humans through cuts and abrasions of the skin, or through the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and mouth with water contaminated with the urine of infected animals.
To prevent rat infestation, the following “seal up, trap up and clean up” was advised by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
* Seal up holes inside and outside the home to prevent entry by rodents.
* Trap rodents around the home to help reduce the rodent population.
* Clean up rodent food sources and nesting sites, and eliminate possible rodent food sources.
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.
