Authorities to plug source of typhoid

Authorities are scrambling to plug the source of the typhoid outbreak in Tuburan town.
Mayor Aljun Diamante said the local government would use the P10 million grant from the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) to improve the town’s waterworks.
“Our water pipes are more than 60 years old. We just inherited the problem. It should not be blamed on us,” Diamante said.
In an earlier interview, the mayor said the town just installed chlorinators recently to treat water sourced from an open spring when residents started showing symptoms of typhoid fever.
At least P8 million was spent by the Cebu provincial government to expand and rehabilitate  the waterworks system in 2008  based on records of the Provincial Planning and Development Office.
The town has level 3 water supply, which means supply is delivered to households. Level 1 refers to water from a spring or source, while Level 2 refers to a communal faucet system.
For level 3 water systems, disinfection is required, under Dept. of Health Administrative Order 2007-0012 otherwise known as Philippine Standard for Drinking Water of 2007.
Chrorination is a basic process of disinfecting water to make it fit for human consumption.
Rapid tests done by the DOH’s Regional Epidemiological and Surveillance Unit (RESU-7) showed fecal coliform in the town’s three water sources in  barangays Alegria, Magadok and Marmol.
Further laboratory tests on water samples were made to check for contamination and determine whether the bacteria that causes typhoid is present.
Results have yet to be released.
Typhoid fever is caused by contamination of salmonella typhi bacteria, a parasite which can be taken in through food or water. The bacteria is abundant in animal feces.
Tuburan’s main source is an open spring in sitio Magdagook, barangay Kalangahan.
A brochure of the town in 2011 says the municipal-run Tuburan Water System serves 2,181 household who pay P50 for the first 12 cu. meter and P60 for the excess consumption.
It said chlorination with strict monitoring and water sampling analysis is done every three months.