CEBU CITY, Cebu, Philippines — A total of 98 persons fell ill while three others died due to typhoid fever in Barili town in southwestern Cebu province.
According to the Cebu Provincial Health Office (CPHO), these cases were reported in 24 of the town’s 42 barangays from March 16 to June 25 this year.
As of Saturday, a total of 19 patients were still confined at the town’s infirmary while 35 were admitted to Barili District Hospital. Most of the patients were aged less than a year old to 11 years old, the CPHO said.
Personnel from the CPHO, who inspected the town’s water sources, found out that 16 water sources tested for E. coli and two water sources failed in the bacteriological test.
‘Not safe’
The CPHO team also discovered that all waterworks in the town have no operational permit from the Department of Health.
The CPHO urged residents and the local government to treat all water sources while waterworks system administrators were advised to procure water chlorinators for all reservoirs.
The health office also advised authorities to put up “not safe for drinking” notices in reservoirs until these water sources passed the necessary tests.
According to the World Health Organization, typhoid is a potentially fatal bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi.
It is typically transmitted through contaminated food or water. S. Typhi bacteria multiply and spread into the bloodstream after being eaten or drunk.
Cash aid
Rep. Pablo John Garcia of Cebu’s third district, which includes the town of Barili, said he and his staff were coordinating with the Department of Social Welfare and Development as well as his nephew, Barili Mayor-elect Pablo John “John-John” Garcia IV, for the release of cash aid amounting to at least P5,000 to affected individuals.
“Amounts will vary depending on the needs of each family,” said the older Garcia in a Facebook post on Friday night.
The congressman said a P3,000 cash aid would also be given to the families of the three individuals who died.
The Cebu provincial government, headed by representative Garcia’s sister, Governor-elect Gwendolyn Garcia, has sent to affected individuals antibiotics (azithromycin), NS1 test kits, 70-percent chlorine granules, 1,000 vials of ceftriaxone; 100 vials of omeprazole; 1,000 tablets of paracetamol; 144 bottles of paracetamol syrup; and two boxes of test kits.
—ADOR VINCENT MAYOL
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