Health authorities in Negros Oriental are scrambling to contain a possible outbreak of diarrhea cases in two neighboring towns following the hospitalization of at least 21 people in less than a week. ‘The cases were sporadic with the patients coming from the adjacent towns of Ayungon and Bindoy and we are now trying to determine the cause or the source of the infections,’ Dr. Liland Estacion, Provincial Health Office (PHO) chief, said on Wednesday. The patients were admitted to the Bindoy District Hospital, with two of them diagnosed with amoebiasis, late last week. More cases were reported but were out-patients treated for diarrhea and still from the same towns, Estacion said. Health personnel visited both towns north of this capital on Tuesday to investigate the cases, distributing jerry cans, water purification tablets, and rehydration solutions. Samples from different water sources have been collected for laboratory testing, as well as rectal swabs taken from some patients, Estacion said. As the cases were sporadic instead of being clustered, she believes water contamination has triggered the infections, especially as many areas in the province experienced heavy rainfall for days due to Typhoon Egay and the southwest monsoon. Meanwhile, the PHO is also investigating the case of a 72-year-old man from Bindoy who recently died after being admitted to the hospital due to diarrhea. He had underlying conditions like sepsis. Estacion also reiterated calls to the public to always boil water before drinking and to hydrate themselves when coming down with diarrhea symptoms, which is usually prevalent during the rainy season
Source: Philippines News Agency
