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DAVAO CITY – The death toll in the diarrhea outbreak in Toril District here increased to three after two more were reported on Wednesday and Thursday, City Health Officer Ashley Lopez confirmed.
Lopez said on Friday that the latest victim was a teacher who, like the other one who fell ill, ate street food at the same food market last week.
The victim, a native of Surigao del Sur and just living in the city to teach, was brought to a private hospital near his home but was eventually transferred to the government-run Southern Philippine Medical Center (SPMC) where he ultimately died.
Like the first two deaths, the teacher also suffered stomach problems after eating food at the now closed food market.
The second death was a 67-year-old woman, a resident of the nearby Sta. Cruz town in Davao del Sur, who died on Wednesday, while the first one was a 10-year-old boy.
The Department of Health has sent experts to look into the problem, which has affected about 200 residents in Toril.
The outbreak started a week ago when residents of the place and nearby areas complained of stomach problems, and some individuals had to be admitted to hospitals.
Lopez said that based on the initial evaluation, the cause could be food items or water at the food market, but the city government is still looking at other possible causes.
Meanwhile, the Davao City Water District already reported that Toril’s water sources were free of impurities based on its initial analysis of samples.