DOH reminds the public: Do not wade or swim in dirty floodwaters

A woman wades her way on Imelda avenue circa Sept 2009 in the Philippines. Typhoon Ondoy left hundreds of thousand families displaced and killed hundreds of people. (Timothy Medrano / Shutterstock)

MANILA — The Department of Health (DOH) is reminding the public not to wade or swim in dirty floodwaters during these rainy days to prevent leptospirosis, an infectious bacterial disease that occurs in rodents, dogs and other mammals and can be transmitted to humans.

“Avoid swimming or wading in potentially contaminated waters or floodwaters,” DOH spokesperson Dr. Lyndon Lee-Suy said on Sunday, stressing that proper protection will help a lot.

“The public may use use proper protection, like boots and gloves, especially if their work requires exposure to contaminated water,” he added.

At the same time, Dr. Lee-Suy said that leptospirosis should not be taken lightly as this bacterial infection could be fatal.

Its common signs and symptoms are fever, muscle pain, headache and reddish eyes in some cases.

The DOH spokesperson said that those with open wounds or break in skin should stay in areas where they cannot be exposed to dirty floodwaters.

He also said that self-medication is a “big no” for those who are suspecting that they are sick with leptospirosis.

“They should only take antibiotics prescribed by a doctor in our health facilities,” he added.

He stressed that early consultation or within two days after feeling or seeing the signs and symptoms of the bacterial disease is important to prevent complications.