60 Rosales farmers manifest leptospirosis symptoms
LINGAYEN—At least 60 more farmers from Rosales town hired to plant and harvest rice in Balungao and Umingan towns are now suspected to be afflicted with leptospirosis.
Dr. Ma. Anna Theresa De Guzman, provincial health officer, said the group complained of suffering from leptospirosis-like symptoms.
Pending the final diagnosis, doctors have given the patients prophylaxis and other medicines to control the fever and slow down the disease.
De Guzman said these farmers were first brought to different private hospitals as they were suffering from prolonged fever that started shortly after coming from Balungao and Umingan where they were hired as farm help.
“The tests will confirm if, indeed, they were afflicted with leptospirosis,” she said.
A report reaching the PHO indicated that the farmers waded barefoot on rice fields in Balungao and Umingan, which were still under floodwater.
The symptoms of leptospirosis, usually acquired from getting in contact with water contaminated with rat urine through lesions in the skin, include headache, body ache, fever, yellow discoloration of the skin, red eyes, and difficulty in urinating during the late stages.
De Guzman said she could not yet confirm if the victims had lesions or wounds on their feet.
The Municipal Health Office (MHO) of Rosales has been mobilized by De Guzman to look for other farmers who may also be suffering from prolonged fever and other symptoms.
At the same time, De Guzman confirmed that most of the victims of leptospirosis are farmers, whose work in the fields require them to wade in water.
She said the PHO is currently closely monitoring leptospirosis cases as the number of victims is still continuously increasing.
To date, the PHO already listed 10 fatalities in the province, mostly coming from Dagupan and Mangaldan, and one each from Labrador, Urbiztondo, Aguilar and Alaminos.
Because of the alarming increase of leptospirosis cases, De Guzman called on the public in Pangasinan to avoid wading in water or wear boots if they have to.
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