Dirty water kills 3, downs 139 villagers

NAGA CITY—Contaminated water killed three persons and struck ill dozens of other residents of several villages in two provinces where people relied heavily on deep wells for water.

Local health officials Wednesday said three persons were dead and at least 80 others have been stricken ill with diarrhea in Nabua, Camarines Sur, after drinking dirty water.

In Oas, Albay, at least 59 have been given treatment for diarrhea caused by drinking contaminated water.

The identities of the dead in Nabua have yet to be determined.

Dr. Stephen A. Beltran, Nabua municipal health officer, said 80 persons were taken to clinics and hospitals for treatment of diarrhea.

Spreading disease

The patients were from the villages of Sto. Domingo, La Purisima, Sta. Cruz and Balawag, according to Jojie Dacillo, executive assistant of Nabua Mayor Delia Simbulan, quoting a

May 23 report of the municipal health office.

Dacillo said results of tests made on water samples in the area have yet to be released but the diarrhea outbreak was believed caused by water contamination.

Cases of diarrhea started to surface in the first week of May and the number of patients taken to health clinics swelled to over a hundred in just a few days, according to government nurse Arlene Pabricante.

Pabricante said the spread of the disease stopped Wednesday after health workers went to the villages to attend to the sick.

Hospital stay

In Oas town in Albay, 17 of the 58 villagers stricken with diarrhea in four villages were hospitalized on Monday at Josefina Belmonte Duran Memorial District Hospital in Ligao City, also in Albay.

Dr. Nats Rempillo, assistant provincial health officer, said the cases were monitored in the villages of San Juan, San Vicente, Pistola and Gumabao, which are 5 to 10 kilometers from the town proper.

Rempillo, in a phone interview, said the 17 people in the hospital were diagnosed as suffering from dehydration and loose bowel movement.