Manila declares leptospirosis epidemic following floods

Manila has declared a leptospirosis epidemic following a rapid increase in infections after recent flooding, with several city hospitals reported to be at full capacity.

Manila Mayor Francisco ‘Isko’ Moreno Domagoso announced on Monday (7 September) that cases had reached the epidemic threshold, according to data from the Manila Health Department (MHD).

The department reported that the attack rate had increased from 1.27% the previous week to 3.48%.

Several government district hospitals, including Ospital ng Maynila, Sta Ana Hospital, and Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital, were reported to have reached capacity amid the increase in patients.

The situation has implications for travellers and the international medical assistance sector, particularly where pressure on local healthcare services affects access to appropriate treatment or requires patients to be directed to alternative facilities.

Leptospirosis is associated with exposure to water or soil contaminated with the urine of infected animals, making outbreaks a particular concern following flooding.

City authorities have intensified their public health response following flooding in Manila last week. Free doxycycline is being made available through 44 health centres and seven district hospitals, while authorities have also been distributing the antibiotic to people affected by the floods.

Across the Philippines, 6,253 leptospirosis cases and 378 deaths were reported between 1 January and 29 August, representing a case fatality rate of 6.05%, according to the figures cited by Outbreak News Today.

The country recorded 824 cases between 2 and 15 August, a 77% increase from the 465 cases reported during the preceding two-week period.

The outbreak reinforces the importance of monitoring not only infectious disease incidence but also local healthcare capacity following severe weather events.

Meanwhile, deaths from the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Ebola outbreak have surpassed 3,000, with the country’s worst-ever epidemic continuing to spread across its northeast.