Typhoid fever downs 5 in Badian

CEBU, Philippines - After the diarrhea cases in Carmen town in the north were reportedly controlled, five were downed by typhoid fever in the southern town of Badian the past few days.

Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Cristina Giango, reported that of the five patients admitted at Badian District Hospital, three were found positive of typhoid fever.   They are residents of barangay Calangcang in the town of Badian, some 97.6 kilometers southwest of Cebu City.

Giango said that upon monitoring, they learned from the school principal that a lot of children got fever in the past two weeks already resulting to massive absences from classes.

However, the parents did not mind bringing their children to the hospital, except the five victims.

Personnel from the Integrated Provincial Health Office yesterday distributed medicines to families whose members had fever.

They also got water samples for laboratory testing to determine the cause of the typhoid fever.

In July last year, a diarrhea outbreak in Badian also downed more than 150 due to water contamination.

Meanwhile, health personnel continue monitoring diarrhea cases in Carmen which affected 109 people mostly from barangay Luyang.

Giango said that 85 of the 109 affected were admitted at the Danao Provincial Hospital and at Carmen Rural Health Unit while the rest were just for consultation.

Chlorinators were already placed in Uragay spring where some of the residents of the affected area get their water.

The diarrhea affected residents since February 13 while the last one case was reported last Friday.

Reports said that not all victims of diarrhea get their water from the spring but some residents get  their water from deep wells.

The municipality of Carmen purchased two chlorinators a year ago but the contractor reportedly failed to put the chlorinator along the pipes of Luyang Spring. (FREEMAN)