Manila, Sept. 9 -- The Department of Health (DOH) is stepping up community surveillance and outreach to protect people at high risk of leptospirosis as cases surge in flood-affected areas, Health Secretary Edwin Mercado said Wednesday.

Mercado said the campaign focuses on people whose livelihoods require them to wade through floodwaters, including daily-wage earners and transport workers.

"'Yung mga no work, no pay, kailangan talaga lumusong yan. Otherwise, walang kakainin ang kanilang mga pamilya (For those living hand-to-mouth, they really have to wade through [floods]. Otherwise, their families won't have anything to eat)," he said in a radio interview.

DOH personnel and barangay health workers are conducting house-to-house visits t...