Diarrhea cases in Carmen under ‘control’

ACTING Gov. Agnes Magpale said yesterday that the diarrhea outbreak in Carmen that afflicted 92 persons is now under ‘control’.

Magpale said the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) pointed to contaminated water as the cause of the disease.

Magpale said IPHO chief Dr. Cristina Giango told her that the patients who were mostly admitted at the Danao City District Hospital had been responding well to treatment.

Stool tests of patients showed they suffered amoebiasis, a water-borne ailment, said Dr. Elmer Batao, Carmen health officer after inspection done by the Department of Health (DOH) 7 in Central Visayas.

The patients, mostly children, were hospitalized for diarrhea since last week in Carmen town, north Cebu, where the rural water system is fed by the Luyang River, springs and deep wells.

Two chlorinators were already installed in water sources believed to be contaminated by  the E-coli bacteria.

The Municipal Health Office is also supervising household chlorination and intensifying community information and education campaigns on environmental sanitation.

Carmen residents were also advised to boil drinking water for 30 minutes and properly wash their hands.

There were cases reported in several barangays but Luyang has the highest with 27 cases.

IPHO recommended the rehabilitation of water distribution pipes of the Uragay water works which is run by a cooperative. /Carmel Loise Matus, Correspondent