FILE / STOCK
ILOILO CITY—Cases of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and cholera cases in this city may see a downtrend in the next few weeks.
As of Sunday, October 16, there were 866 AGE cases with two new cases and 20 active cases with only one admitted to a hospital, according to Dr. Annabel Tang, Iloilo City Health Office (ICHO) chief.
The data indicated that common cases were those of males who were aged 1 to 10 years old (255), and that the seven-day average for new cases was at 3.
As to cholera cases, cases remain at 32 with no new cases.
The total number of vaccinated adults and children is 305, which includes those who have tested positive for cholera, those who have had close contact with cholera cases, and those who accessed wells with water that tested positive for cholera.
The second dose of the ShanChol cholera vaccine will be administered this week, with only four persons receiving the vaccines as of October 16.
There were also 24 deep wells scheduled to be condemned as of Monday, three of which were positive for cholera and the remaining 21 for aeromonas, an AGE-causing bacterium genus.
The ICHO has also been regularly monitoring water refilling stations.
The city government has received 2,462 10-liter bottles of water, being distributed to households, with additional stocks available at the district health centers.
But another ICHO physician, Roland Jay Fortuna, said they still cannot state whether AGE and cholera infections were already controlled, citing the continued lack of access to safe water and the practice of open defecation.
“If we cannot address these factors, we cannot say that we have [completely] controlled the spread [of AGE and cholera]. The mayor has been meeting with [Metro Pacific Iloilo Water] for safe access to drinking water, that is our current priority,” he said.
As to cholera vaccinations, Fortuna said they have already used all doses of the ShanChol vaccine and will be using now the OraVax vaccine, which is only authorized to be administered to those 11 years old and above.
The former vaccine, which is authorized for those aged above 1-year-old, has been in demand to treat AGE and cholera cases in Bacolod City, Cebu, and the National Capital Region.
RELATED STORY:
Iloilo City in state of calamity amid surge in cholera, gastro cases