Three leptospirosis deaths recorded in San Lazaro Hospital

The Department of Health (DOH) said San Lazaro Hospital in Manila has recorded at least three deaths from leptospirosis since 10 August, including a fatality recorded on Saturday, 22 August 2026.

Currently, San Lazaro Hospital has 60 leptospirosis patients, 22 of whom are new admissions and 19 are in severe condition.

An admitted patient had to wade through floodwaters last Monday.

The patient said the floodwaters reached him, and when they got home that Monday, he just took a quick bath and went to sleep.

Later that evening, the patient said he couldn't breathe and had a fever but thought it was just a normal illness, especially since he didn't have any open wounds.

Another minor patient had to be transferred from Gat Andres Bonifacio Medical Center (GABMC) to San Lazaro Hospital to undergo dialysis.

The boy had played in deep floodwaters while bathing in the rain, and when he got home, he developed a fever.

Hospital doctors said the boy had to be transferred because dialysis services were currently unavailable at their hospital, as he had elevated creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels and was unable to urinate.

Hospital officials said severe leptospirosis can affect vital organs, including the kidneys, liver, and respiratory system.

Severe leptospirosis when the disease attacks the body's vital organs, and when it reaches the kidneys, hemodialysis becomes necessary because the patient can no longer urinate.

When the liver is affected, the patient turns yellow, and when it attacks the respiratory system, they experience difficulty breathing, which sometimes requires intubation.

The mortality rate among patients experiencing multi-organ dysfunction can reach up to 50%.

On Saturday, Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Edwin Mercado visited patients at San Lazaro Hospital.

The secretary said there is an incubation period of almost two days to 60 days, but it will already manifest in five to 15 days.

The DOH is also monitoring dengue, another disease that typically peaks during the rainy season.

It said that as of 17 August, it had recorded 111,302 dengue cases nationwide this year.

Mercado said it starts with fever and body weakness; at the onset of the symptoms, they should immediately go to the nearest health center or hospital.

The DOH said that despite the rising number of leptospirosis and dengue cases nationwide, hospitals still have sufficient capacity to accommodate patients.