Daijiworld Media Network - Manila

Manila, Aug 22: Leptospirosis cases at a major infectious disease hospital in the Philippine capital have reached 50, including two deaths, following widespread flooding caused by persistent heavy rains, local media reported on Saturday.

San Lazaro Hospital, a national referral centre for infectious diseases run by the Department of Health (DOH), has opened an express lane for leptospirosis patients, Xinhua news agency reported, quoting local media outlet TV5.

Nationwide, the number of leptospirosis cases has reached 3,760, according to the DOH, with health authorities expecting the figure to rise further in the coming days.

In Iloilo Province in the central Philippines, at least 10 people have died from leptospirosis over the past eight months, local media reported on Friday.

The death toll in Iloilo is twice the number recorded during the same period in 2025. Local health authorities have urged residents exposed to potential sources of infection to take prophylaxis or preventive antibiotics.

Meanwhile, 88 cities and municipalities have declared a state of calamity due to the southwest monsoon and tropical cyclones, the Office of Civil Defence said on Friday.

Among the worst-hit areas are Pampanga, Bataan and Bulacan in Central Luzon, the country's largest plain, located north of Manila on the main island of Luzon.

In Pampanga, more than half of the villages remain submerged, affecting nearly one million people and causing an estimated 1.4 billion pesos (around $22.68 million) in agricultural damage.

Bataan has declared a state of calamity, with around 8,000 residents evacuated. In Bulacan, a bridge in Santa Maria remained closed because of flood damage.

A state of calamity is an official emergency declaration issued by the Philippine government when a severe natural disaster, epidemic or major crisis affects a city, province or the entire country.