The Department of Health (DOH) has logged over 2,000 leptospirosis infections during the first six months of 2026, marking a slight uptick from the figures recorded during the same timeframe last year.
According to latest data from the DOH, health officials registered 2,177 cases of the bacterial illness between January 4 and June 6. This represents a 6-percent increase compared to the 2,045 infections reported during the identical period in 2025.
Medical authorities highlighted that a significant portion of the infected individuals are farmers, who face regular exposure to mud and stagnant water while tending to agricultural fields.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection transmitted through direct contact with water, soil, or mud that has been fouled by the urine of infected animals, especially rodents.
The disease regularly spikes during the wet season and within flood-vulnerable neighborhoods, where the risk of stepping into contaminated water escalates.
The health department warned that signs of the infection can emerge between two and 30 days post-exposure. These warning signs typically include a sudden spike in body temperature, debilitating headaches, muscle and body soreness, and bloodshot eyes.