While not a single case of leptospirosis has been confirmed in Catanduanes, the number of suspected cases has doubled to 16 last year, with three deaths attributed to its symptoms, the Provincial Health Office (PHO) said recently.
According to a report of the Provincial Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (PESU), a total of 16 suspected leptospirosis cases were recorded in 2025, twice the eight tallied last year.
Seven (7) cases were reported by the Catanduanes Doctors Hospital, Inc. (CDHI), four (4) by Viga District Hospital, three (3) by the Virac Rural Health Unit, and two (2) by the Immaculate Health of Mary Hospital (IHMH).
The first fatality, a resident of Palnab del Norte, Virac, was admitted to a Virac hospital in the 4th week of January 2024, followed by a resident of Aroyao, Bato, who was brought to the same hospital two weeks later.
The third death due to suspected leptospirosis was a resident of Salvacion, Panganiban who was admitted at the Viga District Hospital and transferred to a private hospital in Virac. The patient went home on Nov. 12, but was readmitted the following day at VDH where the patient expired in the emergency room.
In 2024, Catanduanes recorded on death from the disease, the Department of Health (DOH) reported.
In a recent interview with Rey Boton of Radyo Natin, Dr. Robert John Aquino, DOH provincial officer, said that there is no confirmed leptospirosis case in Catanduanes although the two suspect cases from Virac and Baras are still under confirmatory testing at the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM).
He admitted that the two cases when admitted fell into the clinical criteria for the infectious disease so samples were taken from them.
The PDOH officer warned that the risk of being infected with leptospirosis is higher during the rainy season, especially in areas prone to flooding as the disease is caused by rats’ urine that mixes with floodwater and could be fatal if it leads to kidney failure.
The DOH provides free prophylaxis like doxycycline especially for residents with open wounds on their feet who had waded in floodwaters.
The public is advised to observe the following preventive measures against leptospirosis: avoid swimming and submerging in contaminated water or flood water; use boots and gloves when coming into contact with contaminated water or flood water; drink only clean water; ensure proper disposal of waste; maintain cleanliness of house and surroundings; wash with clean water the exposed areas of body to contaminated water or flood water; and protect yourself and your family against the threat of leptospirosis.
Suspected cases exhibit an acute febrile illness with symptoms such as headaches, body aches, eye redness, reduced urination, bleeding, cardiac issues, or skin rashes, typically following exposure to infected animals or contaminated areas, De Guzman said.
Last year, the Junior Chamber, International (JCI_ Catanduanes, in partnership with the Philippine Society of Nephrology Inc., coordinated the distribution of 10,000 Leptospirosis Prophylaxis tablets to rural health units and hospitals across the province.
Virac Rural Health Unit (RHU) received 800 tablets while the RHUs in the other ten LGUs got 600 each.
Four hospitals – Catanduanes Doctors Hospital Inc. (CDHI), Immaculate Heart of Mary Hospital Inc., Eastern Bicol Medical Center (EBMC), and JMA Hospital – were each provided with 800 tablets to strengthen their capacity to manage and prevent infections.
Diarrhea cases tripled in 2025
The same PESU report showed that suspect cases of acute watery diarrhea increased to 354 last year, more than thrice the 109 recorded in 2024.
The capital town of Virac accounted for nearly half of the cases, with 170, followed by Baras and Caramoran, with 42 each, and San Andres with 31.
Bacterial meningitis cases also jumped to 20, from just 7 in 2024, with 15 of the patients brought to a private hospital in Virac.
Five of the suspect cases died: two from Bato (Binanuahan and Libod), and one each from Virac (Capilihan), Pandan (Libod), and San Andres (Catagbacan).
Bacterial meningitis, an infection of the protective membranes covering the brain and the spinal cord, known as the meninges, can lead to severe complications and has a high mortality rate, particularly among children and vulnerable populations.
The PHO also reported that a total of 421 people fell ill with typhoid fever in 2025, with 245 of them residents of Virac.
The other towns with sizeable number of suspect cases were Bato with 46, San Andres with 29, and Baras with 21.
Along with dengue fever, typhoid fever is one of the most common diseases during the rainy season and spreads through contaminated food and water.
Those who have limited or no access to clean water and proper sanitation have a higher risk of contracting typhoid fever. Additionally, vulnerable members of the population, such as children, are more prone to getting sick with typhoid.
Warning signs of typhoid fever typically appear one to three weeks after exposure to the bacteria.
The symptoms include fever that develops gradually, headache, fatigue and weakness, muscle aches, stomach pain, stomach bloating, constipation, dry cough, and loss of appetite.
Those who suffer the symptoms are advised to get immediate treatment before they develop into worse, potentially life-threatening, complications such as delirium, exhaustion and motionlessness, pneumonia and intestinal bleeding that may also cause severe stomach pain and vomiting.
Aside from getting vaccinated, people are advised to drink water only from safe and clean sources; eat properly cooked food to avoid contamination; and practice proper hygiene, especially the washing of hands before eating.
On the other hand, the number of suspect dengue cases slightly increased last year to 1,163, with sbout half (564) were recorded during the first three-and-a-half months of 2025.
Nearly a third of the cases were reported in Virac, with 447, while Bato and Bagamanoc accounted for 141 and 118 cases, respectively.
Here’s the totals for the other towns: Gigmoto, 96; San Andres, 90; Viga, 56; Baras, 52; San Miguel, 50; Panganiban, 48; Pandan, 37; and Caramoran, 28.