SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union — The Region I office of the Center for Health Development (CHD) here has recorded 428 leptospirosis cases in the whole region from October to the present.

The provinces of La Union and Pangasinan account for over 90 percent of the leptospirosis cases in the whole region after the onslaught of typhoon “Pepeng.”

Dr. Eduardo Janairo, CHD I regional director, said the leptospirosis cases realized a tremendous surge from October to the present because of the nearly four weeks incubation period of the leptospira bacteria in the human body.

Out of the 428 cases, 405 individuals were able to survive the bacterial infection while 23 others died due to serious complications as a result of the invasion of the bacteria to the vital organs of the body.

La Union topped the list with 242 leptospirosis cases, including 15 fatalities while Pangasinan had 173 cases with seven recorded deaths.

In La Union, Bawang recorded 73 cases with 5 deaths; Aringay, 54 cases with 2 deaths; Naguilian, 41 cases with 2 deaths, San Fernando City, 22 cases with no deaths and San Jaun, 20 cases with 2 deaths.

In Pangasinan, Dagupan City had 27 leptospirosis cases with no deaths; Binmaley, 21 cases with two deaths, Mangaldan, 20 cases and Rosales with 14 cases with 1 fatality.

Janairo said all local health units in the region were authorized to distribute prophylaxis antibiotics to possible leptospirosis cases in their respective areas of jurisdiction to prevent whatever serious implications of the infection to human beings.

From January to October this year, the CHD I recorded only 38 leptospirosis cases in the different parts of the Ilocos Region with 10 fatalities but the figures suddenly surged due to the effects of Pepeng.

The leptospira bacteria breeds on flood waters which are contaminated by animal urine and it enters the human body when an individual with an open wound is exposed to the contaminated waters.

Health experts disclosed the incubation period of the bacteria is from 2 to 26 days depending on the immune system of the person.

Because of the continuous increase in the number of leptospirosis cases, Jainaro advised individuals having flu-like symptoms to immediately seek medical consultation so that they could be given appropriate medication at the early stages of the infection to prevent complications that could result to one’s eventual death.

If a person infected with leptospirosis fails to seek early medical attention, the bacteria attacks his kidneys that could result to one undergoing the expensive dialysis treatment. The most dangerous complication that could happen to a person is the infection of their liver which makes the infection dreaded.