MANILA - Floods in recent weeks have not only left a trail of destruction, they have also caused health problems.
 
A number of hospitals in Metro Manila are reporting a surge in leptospirosis cases in the wake of floods that hit the country.

Leptospirosis is contracted from flood waters contaminated with dog, cat and rat urine through open wounds of breaks in the skin.

"Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection...Usually, you get it from contaminated urine, feces from rodents, that's rats, and cats and dogs," according to Dr. Anthony Leachon, regent of the Philippine College of Physicians.

He says Medical City hospital has reported some 20 admissions per day over the past few days.

At least 6 patients have also been reported at the UP Philippine General Hospital (PGH), one of whom died due to a pulmonary hemorrhage.

Leachon says, with a 4 to 14 day incubation period, their figures are still conservative as some cases go unreported.

"The hospital with the greatest admissions right now is the Medical City with 20 admissions per day since 3 days ago. Their total number right now is about 52. We are actually seeing right now a surge in leptospirosis," he says. "This is the tip of the iceberg because we may not be able to see those patients who have no access to doctors."

Leachon adds every flood victim should be a suspect for infection in the next three to four months.

Males between 18 to 40 years of age are most prone to the disease.

Symptoms of the bacterial infection include high-grade fever, discoloration of the eyes and skin, and tea-colored urine.

"On the first few days, it will be flu-like symptoms, and then the patient can be asymptomatic and then come back...manifested by liver and kidney problems, which would lead to dialysis most of the time.  And most of the patients, when they go to renal failure, they will be dialyzed," he says. "Considering the resources of the patients....it's quite fatal."

Leachon says infection could be avoided by avoiding wading in floods or wearing boots before doing so.

Going to the hospital at the first signs of infection is also a good way to stem the early stages of disease,