Coliform tagged source of illnesses in village

GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Health officials have confirmed that coliform, bacteria found in human and animal wastes, was the cause of a recent diarrhea outbreak in a village of Maasim, Sarangani.

Dr. Antonio Yasana said the findings of the team he formed to investigate the outbreak supported suspicions that the spread of the disease was caused by water contamination.

The outbreak killed three children and sickened at least 250 other villagers, who get their water from leaking pipes being maintained by two local water systems.

“The water should not even be used for laundry, washing dishes or even for bathing alone,” he said.

Yasana said laboratory tests had shown that water from the water systems had coliform.

The findings prompted town officials to start rationing water to residents of the village of Tinoto.

Since Wednesday, a truck owned by the local government has been delivering containers of water from sources in the town center to the diarrhea-stricken village.

Yasana said officials said the water being supplied by the local government has been treated to make sure it’s clean. “We do not want more (diarrhea) cases,” he said.

Jaileen Miral, Maasim health officer, said the number of diarrhea cases has gone down. As of Wednesday, only 18 people are still confined in the town’s hospital. Aquiles Z. Zonio, Inquirer Mindanao