COTABATO, Philippines (Xinhua) - At least seven people died while 100 others have been hospitalized due to an outbreak of cholera in the southern Philippines, a local government official said today.
Town vice mayor Samuel Alim said cholera ravaged communities in four villages in Alamada town, North Cotabato province.
The provincial health office has declared an outbreak of cholera in Alamada due to the number of cases it has monitored.
Alim said a government team has been sent to the areas affected to combat the outbreak and to control the spread of the disease.
Prior to the outbreak, Alim said some residents in the town sprayed their farms with herbicide to combat weeds.
"But over the weekend, it rained. The pesticide may have reached (the residents)' source of water," he said.
Cholera is an acute intestinal infection that causes severe vomiting and diarrhea, which can lead to serious dehydration and prove fatal if not properly treated.