Bulacan leptospirosis cases surge to 400 as deaths mount to five

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office reported the alarming figures on Friday, as floodwaters continued to inundate key population centers across the province north of Manila. Hardest hit areas include the municipalities of Hagonoy, Paombong, and Calumpit, as well as the capital city of Malolos, where residents remain trapped in waterlogged conditions.

Leptospirosis, a bacterial infection transmitted through contaminated water and animal urine, thrives in flood environments where sanitation systems are compromised. Health officials have warned residents in affected areas to avoid contact with floodwaters and to seek immediate medical attention if symptoms develop, including fever, headache, muscle pain, and chills.

Provincial disaster management authorities have intensified relief and medical response operations across inundated communities. Officials urged residents to practice proper hygiene and to boil drinking water as a precautionary measure while rehabilitation efforts continue in flood-affected areas.