Negros cities, town watched for cholera spike

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

BACOLOD CITY—Officials of Negros Occidental province are closely monitoring three cities and one town where 12 cases of cholera were reported, with two deaths, in a span of three weeks.

Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, provincial health officer, said these cases came from coastal villages. Twelve cases were reported from Sept. 26 to Oct. 17, with Silay City recording the most number of patients at five with one death.

The other cases were reported in EB Magalona town, which had four cases with one death; Talisay City with two cases; and Victorias City with one.

Bacolod City, the independently administered capital of Negros Occidental, had nine cases of cholera, which is caused by the Vibrio cholerae bacteria and transmitted by contaminated water.

Of the first batch of 10 water samples sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), Tumimbang said one from Barangay Batea in EB Magalona town tested positive for cholera while nine for other waterborne diseases that could cause acute diarrhea.

SanitationTumimbang said 10 additional water samples had been sent to RITM for testing.

EB Magalona Mayor Marvin Malacon said he declared a cholera outbreak in Barangays Batea, 3 (Poblacion) and Tanza on Monday following the death of a 37-year-old man.

The patient from Barangay Tanza, he said, died of septic shock from infectious diarrhea and severe dehydration on Oct. 11 after being admitted at Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay a day earlier.

Malacon urged residents to make sure that the food and water they consume were clean.

“They have been advised to boil their drinking water or subject it to chlorination,” he said.

Malacon said water refilling stations in EB Magalona that had no business and sanitation permits were not allowed to operate.

“They (owners of water refilling stations) were urged to subject their water samples to bacteriological testing with accredited Department of Health laboratories immediately, and to post their safety clearance in conspicuous areas in their stores,” he said.

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