The Trend of Leptospirosis in the Philippines: A Basis for an Effective Workflow of Early Warning System
Paper Details
The Trend of Leptospirosis in the Philippines: A Basis for an Effective Workflow of Early Warning System
Abstract
The Philippines has a tropical climate prone to typhoons and heavy flooding. Since 1932, Leptospirosis has remained endemic in the country, with an increasing number of cases and deaths every year. Usually, reports of leptospirosis cases occur after the occurrence of heavy flooding and typhoons. With this overwhelming situation of Leptospirosis in the Philippines, this paper reviewed the trends and patterns of the occurrence of Leptospirosis with the hydrometeorological data. Based on findings, the occurrence of Leptospirosis is closely connected with heavy rainfall or a typhoon in NCR/Region I/Region VI, and Typhoons occur mostly from June to December, and the first heavy rainfall after the dry season. A proposed workflow for an early warning system was established in this paper for local government units and healthcare facilities to be guided in their decision-making for the target population to receive advance notice about the likelihood of a leptospirosis outbreak happening at a specific time and location. An established early warning system for Leptospirosis is valuable for the prevention and control of disease outbreaks.
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