At least 10 people die from leptospirosis in Central Philippines

At least 10 people in Iloilo Province, central Philippines, have died from leptospirosis in the past eight months, according to local media reports on Friday (21/8). The death toll in Iloilo Province is double the number of people who died from the disease in the same period in 2025. Residents have been urged to undergo prophylaxis or take preventive antibiotics if they are exposed to risk, according to local health authorities. Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease spread through the urine of animals, especially rats, which can infect humans when they come into contact with contaminated water or soil. The province recorded 84 cases from 4 January to 8 August this year, with 32 of them ‘linked to agriculture’, and most cases were recorded in flood-prone areas.