Pinamungajan typhoid outbreak, water source tested positive of coliform

CEBU, Philippines - Following the death of two persons from an upland village in Pinamungajan town, state health authorities confirmed at least 30 residents of Barangay Camugao displayed symptoms of typhoid fever.

Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit chief epidemiologist Rennan Cimafranca said yesterday's follow up investigation and medical consultation of municipal health officer Dr. Sheila Faciol recorded about 20 patients, on top of 10 who earlier sought medical attention, including the two who died.

Cimafranca pointed to the barangay water source, serving around 400 households, as the possible cause of typhoid cases in the area.

"There's no other potential cause. They do not share food. So most probably it is the spring. About 70 percent of the total served households actually use the water source," he said.

The water sample from the spring box tested positive for fecal coliform and e-coli bacteria.

The first fatality was Marivic Macalipay,16, the only laboratory confirmed case so far, who was rushed to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center and died Sunday evening.

Faciol said the second fatality, Eduardo Caniban, 27, went home against the doctors’ advice at Dr. Jose Maria V. Borromeo Memorial District Hospital. Caniban was told to stay in for further observation and treatment but insisted to go home. He was a relative of the first patient who died.

The sibling of the first fatality is currently admitted in a private hospital in Cebu City for the same medical condition.

Medicine and aqua tabs were distributed to affected residents following the consultation and investigation.

Cimafranca and Faciol were accompanied by Provincial Health Office sanitation office as well as barangay officials.

The improvised spring box servicing the community 20 kilometers from town center was installed with an improvised chlorinator to treat contaminated water with concentration of 1 parts per million.

Cimafranca recommended that a canopy protect the reservoir and the chlorinator.  Authorities also noted that houses located about 15 meters from the spring do not have sanitary toilets. —(FREEMAN)