Sarangani takes precautions vs meningo outbreak

MALAPATAN, Sarangani — The provincial health office is now carrying out precautionary measures to allay fears of the public following a report that another resident is being treated in a General Santos City hospital for suspected meningococcemia.

Dr. Antonio Yasana, provincial health officer, said a 23-year-old resident of Barangay Datal Tampal in Malungon, Sarangani was the second suspected meningococcemia case noted by his office in three days.

"We are now conducting ‘blood culture’ laboratory examination to determine if (the Malungon resident) is really a meningococcemia victim," Yasana told The STAR.

Although there was no confirmation yet, Yasana said the patient was given prophylaxis to prevent infection.

Yasana said the patient’s family asked for his transfer to another hospital from Sultan Kudarat where he works to avoid difficulties in taking care of him.

"Under observation pa siya kasi wala naman siyang lagnat at konti lang naman ang rashes sa katawan niya (He’s still under observation because he still does not have fever and his rashes are still few)," Yasana said in a cellular phone interview.

He said he accompanied a health monitoring team, which went to Barangay Lun Masla last Monday to personally assess the situation there following the death of a five-year-old boy last Sunday.

"We immediately gave prophylaxis medicines to the members of the (boy’s) family and (undertook) public information dissemination to promote cleanliness and personal hygiene (among the residents)," he said.

Yasana also told the victim’s neighbors not to worry because they would undertake all necessary preventive measures to keep them uninfected.

Dr. Diomedes Remitar, Malapatan health officer, observed unsanitary surroundings in the barangay due to animal waste strewn in backyards.

"The villagers should have nothing to fear because this is an isolated case… all they have to do is to observe cleanliness in their surroundings," Remitar said.

Dr. Lalaine Calonzo, chief of the General Santos City District Hospital, said the boy was brought to the district hospital by his relatives at about 6 a.m. last Sunday, but he died at 7 p.m.

Calonzo shared Yasana’s observation that the boy was suffering from meningococcemia because of his high fever, rashes and sudden death.

Yasana, however, said that based on their laboratory examination of the boy’s rashes, he was negative for meningococcemia.

He added that they have no confirmatory findings because they failed to conduct a "blood culture" examination.

For his part, Sarangani Gov. Miguel Dominguez said he immediately advised the victims’ families to promptly bury their dead to avoid further contamination.

Aside from the hospital personnel who had direct contact with the victim, he said the victims’ immediate family members and their neighbors should undergo prophylaxis examination.

"We want to ensure that our people will not be infected by the disease," he said. — With Ramil Bajo