100% rise in dysentery cases in Region 7

CEBU, Philippines - The health department has recorded a 100 percent increase in the number of cases of “acute bloody diarrhea” in Central Visayas.

 Acute bloody diarrhea is also called dysentery, which is an infection of the intestines resulting in severe diarrhea with the presence of blood and mucus in the feces.

 Based on the latest data of the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit of the Department of Health, 2,946 people have suffered from the diarrheal disease while nine others died from it from January 1 to November 21.

 Data also showed that the figure almost doubled in the same period last year with 1,470 cases. The number of fatalities, on the other hand, increased by seven.

Because dysentery is most common among children, most of those infected were kids one to 10 years old.

 Cebu City had the most number of dysentery cases at 56.8 percent or 1,663 cases and nine deaths. Last year, the city had 1,008 cases and two deaths.

 Cebu was followed by Tubigon town in Bohol with three percent or 99 cases, Tudela town with 2.5 percent or 74 cases, Tuburan with 2.4 percent or 71 cases, and San Francisco, Camotes with 2.3 percent or 67 percent.

 The Global Burden of Disease study estimated there were 1.4 million deaths due to diarrheal diseases in 2010.

 According to this report, diarrheal diseases represent one of the five leading causes of deaths worldwide and are the second leading cause of death in children under five years old. (behind acute respiratory infections).

Most cases of diarrhea are associated with contaminated food and water sources. Around 2.4 billion people globally have no access to basic sanitation.

 Diarrhea that lasts two weeks is termed acute diarrhea. Bacterial infections and parasitic infestations are responsible for most of the cases.

 The World Health Organization has cited key measures to prevent diarrhea, such as access to safe drinking-water; use of improved sanitation; hand washing with soap; exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life; good personal and food hygiene; health education about how infections spread; and rotavirus vaccination.

 To avoid dehydration, it is important to take plenty of fluid or oral rehydration salts (ORS) solution. ORS is a mixture of clean water, salt and sugar.

It costs a few cents per treatment. ORS is absorbed in the small intestine and replaces the water and electrolytes lost in the feces.  (FREEMAN)