Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Strict monitoring of water supply urged

published November 12, 2011 in BusinessWorld

TACLOBAN CITY -- The typhoid fever outbreak in Leyte has prompted renewed calls for the strict and regular monitoring of the quality of water sources.
On Thursday, the Department of Health said the number of affected residents has doubled to 407 in five Leyte towns namely, Carigara, Barugo, Capoocan, Tunga, and Jaro.

"Most of those reported this week are old cases but were not immediately recorded by local health authorities. There have been fewer confinements in hospitals in the past days," DoH regional sentinel nurse Roderick Boyd S. Cerro said in a telephone interview.

He said the outbreak could have been prevented had local sanitary inspectors included water sources in their regular monitoring activities. He lamented that the inspectors currently focus only on food establishments.

"The inspection of water quality should be prioritized because majority of the population depends on water districts for their drinking water supply," Mr. Cerro said.

Under the Sanitation Code of the Philippines, the local sanitary inspectors are mandated to check sites of water sources before their construction; delivery of water to consumers from new or recently repaired water systems; and certification of potability of drinking water.

Regular bacteriological examination of water sources every six months while a general systematic chemical examination every year should be conducted.

Mr. Cerro said majority of the cases were reported in the remote areas of Carigara and Barugo. All affected areas get their drinking water from the Metro Carigara Water District.

The utility, which has over 5,000 water concessionaires, sources its water supply from a river located in Barangay Macalpi, in Carigara town.

"We believe that the water district has applied residual chlorine to treat the water but the level is low that it may not have reached the end of distribution lines," Mr. Cerro told BusinessWorld.

The DoH is set to release next week the result of bacteriological examinations of the water sample provided by the utility.

In a radio interview, Dolores Bodo of the MCWD commercial division and customer service said they conduct a bacteriology test monthly.

"And if there are leakages from our water pipes, we immediately take action on it," Ms. Bodo said, adding that they have already deployed some personnel to check on the condition of those downed by typhoid fever. -- Sarwell Q. Meniano

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Typhoid fever outbreak downs residents in Leyte towns

published November 9, 2011 in BusinessWorld

TACLOBAN CITY -- A suspected typhoid fever outbreak believed to be caused by a contaminated water source has killed a three-year-old boy and afflicted over 200 others in four Leyte towns, the Department of Health (DoH) regional office said yesterday.

Roderick Boyd S. Cerro, DoH regional sentinel nurse, said in a telephone interview that patients with typhoid fever symptoms from the towns of Carigara, Capoocan, Tunga and Barugo have been admitted to various hospitals in the province since the second week of October.

“The water requirement of these four towns is being supplied by Metro Carigara Water District (MCWD). We believe there’s a problem with their water source. It’s the common denominator,” Mr. Cerro told BusinessWorld.

He said authorities were scheduled to obtain water samples from the utility this week for laboratory analysis. The utility serves 5,000 water concessionaires in the four towns. MCWD officials could not be reached for comment.

Margilda O. Espinosa, nurse supervisor at the Carigara District Hospital, said in a separate telephone interview that a three-year-old boy with fever died in their hospital on Nov. 4 after six hours of confinement.

The fatality was from Barangay Guindapunan East of Carigara town, 53 kilometers away from this city.

Ms. Espinosa said the hospital has continued receiving patients suffering from fever as of yesterday.

“We cannot confirm yet that it’s typhoid since we do not have a facility to test if they are positive of that illness but we have proceeded with treatment,” she said.

Other common symptoms that the patients showed were stomach pains, headache, loose bowel movement, vomiting, and loss of appetite.

As of yesterday, Mr. Cerro said 152 victims have been admitted to the Carigara District Hospital, 45 in Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center in Tacloban City, and 14 in Divine Word University also in Tacloban City.

The DoH has distributed medicines to the affected communities. Health authorities also advised the public to boil water for drinking, clean their immediate surroundings, and wash their hands regularly.

Typhoid fever (Salmonella typhi) is an illness that is transmitted through ingestion of contaminated food or water. (Sarwell Q. Meniano)