By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – Mayor Marvin Malacon of EB Magalona, Negros Occidental on Monday declared a cholera outbreak in Barangays Batea, 3 (Poblacion), and Tanza.
“It is unfortunate that we have recorded four cholera cases already (with one fatality), as per report of our Municipal Health Office. We have two cases in Tanza (where one patient died), and one case each in Batea and 3 (Poblacion),” Malacon said in a press statement.
The fatality was the third case: a 37-year-old male from Hacienda Manalo 5 in Barangay Tanza who died of septic shock from infectious diarrhea and severe dehydration on Oct. 11.
He was admitted to the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital (TLJPH) in Silay City on Oct. 10.
Malacon assured that the municipal officials and concerned agencies, including the Municipal Health Office, are on top of the situation.
“We have visited the respective residents of these areas and have urged them to make sure their food and water are clean and have advised them to boil their drinking water or subject them to chlorination,” he said.
He said he called for several urgent meetings with the Local Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Committee to implement more stringent measures to contain the cholera outbreak and avert the incidence of cholera and other water-borne diseases.
He also met with the owners and operators of the water refilling stations in the municipality to reiterate the government’s policy of “no permit, no business,” including sanitation permits.
Negros Occidental Provincial Health Officer Dr. Ernell Tumimbang said on Monday that cholera cases in the province went up to 12.
Bacolod City, on the other hand, has 9 cases, according to City Health Officer Dr. Ma. Carmel Gensolo.
Tumimbang told the media that last September 26, they recorded two cases in Silay City and three in E.B. Magalona.
The following day on September 27, Negros Occidental recorded one cholera case in Victorias City and another one in Silay City.
On September 29, they recorded two more cases in Silay City, and last October 10, one case in Talisay City and one in E.B. Magalona were reported.
October 12 added one more case in Talisay City and another in E.B. Magalona, and yesterday morning, October 17, one more case in E.B. Magalona.
Tumimbang also revealed that there are now two fatalities related to cholera.
Tumimbang also revealed that of the initial 10 water samples they sent for laboratory analysis at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, one of the samples later tested positive for cholera.
The cholera-positive sample was taken from E.B. Magalona.
So far, all of the cases were adults and they have not recorded any cholera cases yet for minors.
Tumimbang again reminded the Municipal and City Health Offices in Negros Occidental to closely monitor all water-refilling stations as well as restaurants, eateries, and food kiosks.
The PHO head also pointed out that the cholera cases are so far confined only to the areas belonging to the 3rd district.
Tumimbang also advised the local health offices to enforce a “zero open defecation” policy.
