Quezon city: The Quezon City government has reported a surge in leptospirosis infections compared to the same period last year.
According to Philippines News Agency, a leptospirosis surveillance report from the QC Epidemiology and Surveillance Division (QCESD) revealed that 535 cases and 78 deaths were recorded in the city as of September 1.
This reflects a 27-percent increase in cases from the 446 recorded on September 7, 2024, with fatalities more than doubling. The latest reported fatality was a 45-year-old male Grab driver from Culiat, admitted to Quezon City General Hospital on August 21, 2025, and passing away the following day. During Week 31, from July 28 to August 3, 179 cases were reported-the highest weekly count this year-exceeding the epidemic threshold.
District 2 reported the highest number of cases at 183, with 52 cases in Commonwealth. The affected age range spans from 4 to 77 years, with the majority of cases occurring in the 41 to 50 age group. Nearly 80 percent of these cases were linked to flood exposure.
In response, health centers and field workers have been mobilized to distribute free prophylactic medicine. Despite class and work suspensions, health centers in Quezon City remain open under a skeletal workforce, and house-to-house distribution teams are active in flood-affected communities.
The city is also intensifying its distribution of infographic materials via social media to remind residents about the dangers of leptospirosis, especially after flood exposure. The QCHD emphasizes the importance of taking prophylactic medication within the first 72 hours after exposure to floodwater.
The city's campaign includes deploying flood response teams with doxycycline to affected households, evacuation centers, and high-risk workers. Residents are urged to seek prompt medical consultation if symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, or jaundice appear.
On a recent Saturday, Quezon City experienced unprecedented rainfall, causing flooding in normally unaffected areas. Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Administrator Nathaniel Servando noted that the flood was comparable to the September 26, 2009, flooding during Tropical Storm Ondoy. Between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. on the recent Saturday, 96.6 mm of rain was recorded at the PAGASA Science Garden in Quezon City, overwhelming the city's drainage system and resulting in extensive flooding.
Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office spokesperson Peachy de Leon confirmed that the heavy rainfall severely taxed the drainage infrastructure, leading to the current situation.
