1 dead, 25 hospitalized due to typhoid in Quezon

LUCENA CITY, Quezon, Philippines—One person died and 25 others in General Nakar were hospitalized due to typhoid, which the town’s mayor confirmed was caused by dirty drinking water.

General Nakar Mayor Leovigildo Rozul said the victim and those hospitalized were all residents of Barangay Anuling located in the town proper.

Rozul said a laboratory examination showed the unidentified male died due to typhoid in the last week of June.

He said health workers sent Monday to the village by the provincial health office in Lucena City who traced the cause of the illness to several contaminated deep wells, the villagers’ main source of drinking water.

Dr. Agrifino Tullas, Quezon provincial health officer, said health workers were able to confirm that the water wells were contaminated with E. coli (Escherichia coli), a bacteria often transmitted through fecal-oral route.

He said the victims were exhibiting symptoms like sustained fever, headache and constipation or diarrhea.

Tullas said local and provincial health workers have already distributed medicines, distilled water and water purifier to residents of the affected village.

“The situation is now under control,” he said.

Tullas said the sick residents were confined at the municipal clinic and at the Claro M. Recto hospital in nearby Infanta town but only 10 patients remained under the care of health workers as the rest had already been discharged.