In an effort to stem the tide of leptospirosis cases, Mayor John Dalipe was toying with the idea of mobilizing the local communities to search and kill rats (rodents) in exchange for rice.
Mayor Dalipe broached the idea during a special meeting Thursday with City Health Officer Dr. Dulce Amor Miravite and City Epidemiologist Dr. Ivy Rozeth Saavedra-Iturralde relative to the increasing cases of leptospirosis, a bacterial infection from urine of animals mostly rats, following the massive floods spawned by TS Paeng.
Dr. Miravite reported that from the period Oct. 27 to Nov. 16, the city of Zamboanga had registered 97 leptospirosis patients, 12 of them with comorbidities died.
Dalipe said to mitigate if not eradicate leptospirosis is to address the root cause of the disease, which is rat. Hence, he suggested the city government will give 1 kilo of rice for every rat killed. The more rats killed, the more rice anyone can get.
However, the mayor has yet to come up with the guidelines in the implementation of the so-called Rat for Rice Program.
On record, 20 barangays have reported leptospirosis cases, namely; Tumaga 28, Pasonanca 14, Tetuan and Tugbunga with 10 cases each, Guiwan 9, Ayala 5, Sta. Maria and Putik with 4 cases each, San Jose Gusu 2, and 1 case each in Cabaluay, Talisayan, Culianan, Boalan, Curuan, Tulungatung, Manicahan, Zambowood, Cabatangan, Baliwasan and San Roque.
The 97 cases were registered in the Zamboanga City Medical Center with 53, Zamboanga Doctors’ Hospital 19, West Metro 12, Mindanao Central Sanitarium and Zampen Medical Center had 5 cases each, and Ciudad Medical Zamboanga 3.
Among the 12 deaths, 4 in Tumaga, 2 in Guiwan and 1 each in Ayala, Cabaluay, Culianan, Pasonanca, Sta. Maria and Tugbungan.
Survey showed that 24 or 100% had no knowledge about the causes of leptospirosis—contact with urine of rats, due to rats, wading in flood water, and wading in flood water with wound.
Dr. Miravite stressed that early antimicrobial therapy can be effective in decreasing the severity and duration of leptospirosis, and should be initiated as soon as possible, without waiting for diagnostic test results, if leptospirosis is suspected.
It was recommended that health education and information dissemination be conducted the soonest time possible in priority areas with leptospirosis cases, create task force WILD in all barangays, conduct regular clean-up drive in breeding places of rats, and encourage the community to conduct regular cleaning activities in order to stop the proliferation of rodents. (Vic Larato, photo courtesy by Eugene Elnar)
(Source: City Government of Zamboanga Facebook page)