SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA: The Antique Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) has warned school kids against wading through rainwater to avoid leptospirosis that claimed three lives in the province. IPHO Health Promotion designate Joenes Jereza said parents should remind their children not to play with rainwater on their way home or in clogged canals because they might be infected with leptospira bacteria from the urine of rodents like rats. 'Please be mindful as we are not sure if the body of water has been infected,' he said in an interview on Thursday. Jereza said the Department of Health (DOH) already met with parents from different schools in Antique on Wednesday, and reminded them about the water-borne diseases like leptospirosis and dengue that are on the rise. He added they should immediately consult the Rural Health Units (RHUs) or primary care facilities nearest them once they have signs and symptoms such as fever and muscle pain. From Jan. 1 until Aug. 4, the province recorded 44 cases of lep tospirosis, including three deaths. The municipalities with the highest cases are Hamtic, with eight; San Jose de Buenavista, with seven; and Tobias Fornier, with five cases. The fatalities are all males, including a 26-year-old from Barbaza, a 63-year-old from Hamtic, and a 42-year-old from San Jose de Buenavista. For the same period last year, the province recorded 13 cases with two deaths. Meanwhile, Antique has 610 dengue cases, including one death since January until Aug. 4 this year, higher compared with 438 cases in the same period in 2023. 'Last year, there was no death due to dengue,' Jereza said, urging the public to always clean their surroundings. He said cleanliness is an important measure to prevent leptospirosis and dengue cases in the province. Source : Philippines News agency