Several residents from different barangays in Tacloban were rushed to different health facilities after experiencing diarrhea and vomiting due to suspected cholera outbreak that affects both children and adults and can kill the patient within hours if untreated.
At least four persons (including a 10-month- old and a 3-month-old baby) died and 50 others were admitted to public hospitals after experiencing symptoms that were initially thought to be just a diarrhea outbreak.
Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez said they were surprised and alarmed at the surge of diarrhea cases in government hospitals since Sunday (October 24).
“This is very alarming and a serious issue especially that it already cost the life of an infant,” Romualdez said. “I advise all the residents to make sure that the water they drink is clean. If these are bottled water, make sure that they are properly sealed and come from a reputable water company.”
Further investigation revealed that most patients were from Barangays 105, 106, 107, 91-Abucay, 39-Calvary Hill, and 79-Marasbaras.
City health officer Danny Ecarma earlier confirmed two of the 17 stool samples that were submitted to the Department of Health regional office for rapid diagnostic test, were found positive of cholera bacteria.
The cases will remain as "suspected cholera” cases until they undergo confirmatory testing that involves a culture of stool samples with results available after two days.
Locating the problem
Romualdez disclosed that most of the cases came from villages in the northern part of the city where permanent relocation sites for residents displaced by typhoon “Yolanda” are located.
Initial investigation conducted by the City Health Office and the city’s Sanitary Engineer showed that one possible suspect of the spread is the water from refilling stations that are sold in these areas.
This is after residents of the northern barangays further confirmed that their source of drinking water is commercially sold water from refilling stations as they were initially advised to avoid drinking their tap water.
Inspection of the 115 registered water refilling stations based on the record of the city licensing office, especially those that have been regularly delivering drinking water to relocation sites in the city’s northern villages was able to immediately avoid the further spread of the bacteria.
"We will ask the help also of the police to check water deliveries in checkpoints. We are also thinking of restricting the movement of people in areas with high cases to prevent the transmission of this disease,” Romualdez said.
A national issue
But cholera is not just prevalent in Tacloban. The Department of Health reported cholera cases increasing by 270 percent from January to October, from R8 with 2,678 cases followed by R9 with 441 and CARAGA with 289 cases.
The DoH also confirmed 37 deaths in the country. It added that it continues to strengthen holistic public health strategies, ensuring healthy environments, particularly the healthy settings strategy and capacitating communities to address common diseases, amid rising numbers of notifiable diseases like cholera due to environmental factors.
The World Health Organization said the usual source of contamination is the feces of an infected person that contaminates water or food and can spread rapidly in areas with inadequate treatment of sewage and drinking water. This brings the issue of water resource safety not only in EV but the whole country.