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Anti-leptospirosis drugs should be stockpiled at evacuation centers during the rainy season. Thus, said Anakalusugan Party-list Rep. Ray Reyes, who noted that diseases like leptospirosis were likely to surge during typhoons. "Leptospirosis is a preventable disease. Sa mga panahong ganito na inaasahan ang pagbaha, sana readily available na ang prophylaxis para sa mga kababayan nating kailangang lumikas sa mga evacuation centers," Reyes said in a statement Tuesday, Aug,1. (During these times of flooding, I hope prophylaxis would be readily available to our countymen who need to go to the evacuation centers.) Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals, according to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC). It is caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira. The most common ways to get infected is urine or contaminated water getting in your eyes, nose, mouth, or broken skin through cuts and scratches. In the Philippine setting, the disease is usually linked to rats or mice's urine that get mixed into floodwater. Reyes said having leptospirosis medication readily available at evacuation centers is a proactive approach in preventing the spread of the disease during calamities. "Prevention is better than cure and we hope that we can protect our kababayans from leptospirosis before it reaches an irreversible stage," the rookie solon said. According to the Department of Health (DOH), 1,582 cases of leptospirosis were recorded from Jan. 1 to June 3, 2023. This was a 72 percent jump from the 920 reported cases during the same period last year.