MANILA, 27 October 2009–A team of international experts has arrived in the Philippines to help the Government respond to a large-scale outbreak of the disease leptospirosis, which has followed the torrential rains and flooding that hit the country more than three weeks ago.
The four-person team is made up of experts in leptospirosis control, epidemiology, and clinical management of the disease, which is usually caused by contact with water contaminated with the urine of rats or other animals. The team's members are drawn from the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), a pool of experts that is on permanent stand-by to respond to health emergencies. The specialists–from institutes in Australia, France, the Netherlands and Singapore–began arriving in Manila on Monday, 26 October.
On Tuesday, 27 October, the team was briefed by officials from the Philippines Department of Health and WHO counterparts before heading out to the field to begin the initial assessment phase of its mission. The group is expected to be in the Philippines for three weeks, after which it will submit a report to the Philippine Government.
“The GOARN team has come at the invitation of the Government of the Philippines," said the WHO Representative in the Philippines, Dr Soe Nyunt-U. "They will be assisting the Government by providing technical assessment and assistance in the surveillance, epidemiological and clinical care of those who fall sick from the disease.”
A large number of communities are still under water after Typhoon Ondoy, with the international name Ketsana, struck the Philippines on 26 September, dumping a month of rain on Manila and its environs in just six hours. As river banks overflowed, water levels rose to nearly 25 metres in some places, submerging or sweeping away tens of thousands of homes and drowning hundreds of people. On the heels of Ondoy, Typhoon Pepeng struck the north of the country, exited out to sea and then returned, killing many more and leaving more towns under water or mud.
A total of more than 7 million people were affected by the two storms. Some areas are expected to be under water for months to come as clogged waterways are preventing the floods from draining out to sea.
Leptospirosis bacteria commonly enter the body through skin cuts and abrasions when a person comes into contact with contaminated water or soil.
Common initial symptoms of leptospirosis include fever, severe headache, sore muscles, chills, vomiting and red eyes. Some people with leptospirosis go on to develop severe illness, including Weil’s disease, which results in kidney failure and possibly death. Meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain) and bleeding in the lungs can also occur.
Apart from the risk of leptospirosis infection, thousands of families remain homeless, often crammed together in temporary accommodation in conditions conducive to other infectious disease outbreaks such as gastroenteritis or respiratory illnesses. Access to good sanitation and safe water is a problem.
The situation is worsened by the fact that many hospitals and clinics are damaged or still under water, with some staff unable to get to work, either because they are marooned in evacuation centres or are still repairing their homes. At the same time, victims of the floods are causing a surge in demand on the health facilities. "The Philippine Government has responded commendably to this disaster," said Dr Shin Young-soo, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, based in Manila. "But this is clearly a very difficult situation."