Diarrheal outbreak kills 1, downs over 200 Tagoloan residents

November 18, 2008

By Lizanilla J. Amarga

A diarrheal outbreak at Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental has now killed one person and sent over 250 other residents to the nearest hospitals and clinics over the weekend.

Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) Dr. Enrique Saab said 21 children and 19 adults landed at their hospital from Nov. 15 and 16 with one declared as dead on arrival because of this outbreak.

Tagoloan Mayor Paulino Emano said they attended to over 180 patients in their town alone while Sabal Hospital officer Jesse Ilogada said there were over 20 who arrived at their doorsteps last Saturday forcing them to refuse admittance to patients 3:00 p.m. that day.

The regional office of Department of Health (DOH-10) and the NMMC held a meeting yesterday morning to identify the bacteria, contain the outbreak and attend to the sudden influx of patients now at the different hospitals and clinics.

Dr. Saab told Gold Star Daily that Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (RESU) head Dr. David Mendoza has been on the move since Saturday when the first incidences were reported at Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.

He said Dr. David had already identified that the bacteria has entered the bodies of the patients through the Tagoloan water supply.

However, he said they are still trying to determine the contaminant and had already sent stool samples to their laboratories.

“We are still trying to determine whether this diarrheal disease is caused by an amoeba or cholera outbreak,” he said adding that they are calling it for now as an “outbreak of diarrheal disease.”

Ilogada said the 20 patients with them had their stool examined and that their initial findings showed that the patients had amoeba on their system.

Meanwhile, Dr. Saab said they are now doing coordinating with all concerned parties to help the patients and to safeguard the health of those at the affected town.

He said they already sent out several cartons of dextrose and other medical supplies to this town over the weekend.

“What is needed is to make sure that there is a replacement of body fluids of the patient because if this is not attended to this diarrheal disease can kill,” he said.

Emano for his part said they are now coordinating with the Provincial Government but that they only have one doctor in town.

Ilogada advised all those Tagoloan residents and even those in their peripheral areas to first boil their water before drinking it and to make sure that their food is properly washed and cooked.

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Written by admin · Filed Under Cagayan de Oro