‘Typhoid’ downs 10 in Tuburan

CEBU, Philippines - At least 10 cases of suspected typhoid fever have been reported in Barangay Montealegre in Tuburan town.

Cynthia Genosolango, Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) head, said the patients had been suffering from fever for long days after ingesting water from a source believed to have been contaminated.

Genosolango said hospital chief Esteban Ligaray of the Tuburan District Hospital confirmed to her Wednesday that nine persons have been admitted. The number rose to 10 yesterday.

Genosolango said that although the patients showed symptoms similar to that of typhoid fever, they have yet to confirm whether the disease is indeed typhoid fever.

Typhoid fever, or simply typhoid, is a common bacterial disease transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with an infected person’s feces that contains the bacterium Salmonella enteric enterica, serovar Typhi.

“There have been reported cases, probable clinical cases. (We) suspect typhoid fever. We have to confirm this with a laboratory test, specific test to establish whether this is indeed typhoid fever, an examination of the blood that will tell us that there is a presence of bacteria causing typhoid fever,” she told reporters.

She, however, made it clear there is no typhoid fever outbreak in the area.

“The official word will come from our office and that of the Department of Health (DOH-7), in particular from our Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU),” she said.

“There is a certain number where we can already classify a disease an outbreak. The numbers get higher rapidly,” she added.

IPHO has sent medical personnel yesterday to monitor and attend to the patients admitted at the Tuburan District Hospital.

Genosolango said that if complications sit in, patients would be referred to a higher medical center. She, however, said that the conditions of are improving.

She took the opportunity yesterday to warn the public on contaminated water sources.

“Typhoid fever is a water-borne disease. Dako og papel ang atong (The ones who play important roles here are the) sanitary inspectors. We advise our folks to drink water from a reliable source. I-boil gyud (water) for not less than 15 minutes,” she said.

Aside from IPHO, regional health officials are also looking into the reported typhoid cases in Montealegre.

 A team from DOH-7’s The Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) was already dispatched to Tuburan to investigate.

RESU is the office tasked to monitor and administer confirmatory laboratory tests on diseases affecting a locality, with sample specimen sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Manila.

The team, led by RESU chief Renna Cimafranca, went to check on the barangay Thursday to conduct an initial investigation, and returned yesterday to continue its probe and to help mitigate the situation.

DOH-7 director Jaime Bernadas is set to release a statement on the matter on Monday, when initial results of the investigation would already be available.—/RHM (FREEMAN)