Four dead as typhoid cases up to 500 in Tuburan
ABOUT four persons died while the number of typhoid fever patients rose to 500 in Tuburan town, northwest Cebu, local health officials said yesterday.
More medical personnel were sent to Tuburan after last week’s typhoid outbreak worsened, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia told reporters.
The governor visited the town last Friday to check on the conditions of the patients.
Medical personnel were also ordered to inspect the town’s water sources while engineering crews were told to repair the damaged water pipes, Rep. Pablo John Garcia of Cebu’s 3rd district said.
He said the water supply may have been contaminated after the pipes were damaged by the 6.9 earthquake that hit Cebu and Central Visayas early this month.
In his Twitter account, Rep. Garcia said 30 typhoid fever cases were recorded in Tuburan District Hospital while three cases were referred to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC).
Patients were aged 15 to 48 years old. The congressman asked the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) district office to check the water lines in Tuburan for signs of contamination.
Regional health coordinator Jocelyn Tabutabu said the outbreak may have been caused by the springbox of the area’s water source that’s managed by the municipal government.
She said the Regional Epidemiological and Surveillance Unit (RESU-7) already took water samples and the results would be finalized within the week.
Rep. Garcia said his office will pay for the medical expenses of Tuburan residents afflicted with typhoid fever. /Candeze R. Mongaya, Reporter with Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus
