Iloilo City distributes doxycycline to 15,118 residents for leptospirosis prevention amid flooding

Iloilo City distributed doxycycline capsules to 15,118 residents as a preventive measure against leptospirosis during rainy days.

The Department of Health (DOH) Western Visayas Center for Health Development sent 50,000 doxycycline capsules to Iloilo City to meet increased demand due to flooding.

Mayor Raisa Treñas thanked DOH for the additional supply, which was urgently requested after 40,000 individuals received at least two capsules in seven days.

Iloilo City reported 16 suspected and seven probable leptospirosis cases from January to July 19, 2025, with three deaths, including one person who refused the medication.

The city's health office, led by Dr. Mary Ann Diaz, uses barangay health workers and fixed medical sites to deliver the medication.

Doxycycline is recommended for individuals who have been in contact with floodwaters within 24 to 72 hours.

The Iloilo City Emergency Operations Center recorded 93 flooded barangays as of Thursday afternoon, with 30 still flooded and 63 having subsided.

The DOH also provided 30,000 capsules to the Negros Island Region and 20,000 to Negros Occidental.

Other provincial health offices still have enough inventories, according to the health department.