Davao City – The cholera outbreak in Caraga town in Davao Oriental that started last week has resulted in the death of up to six people, the provincial government confirmed on Monday.
Data sent to the Philippine News Agency indicated that the total reported cholera cases in the town that started January 31 has reached 491.
Of the number, 84 individuals are still admitted to various hospitals in the province.
Karen Lou Deloso, the provincial information officer, said the provincial health office (PHO) started receiving reports of residents experiencing diarrhea on January 29 wherein most patients had experienced symptoms such as loose bowel movement (LBM), vomiting, and stomach ache.
She said the Department of Health has recently confirmed from the submitted test samples that the diarrhea outbreak was caused by cholera.
Cholera is a serious and highly contagious disease transmitted through contaminated water or food.
The PHO, led by Dr. Reden Bersaldo, has immediately launched a massive emergency health response to address the ongoing cholera outbreak in the municipality of Caraga.
Bersaldo said the teams will help in the active surveillance, treatment and monitoring, and coordination to help contain the outbreak.
The provincial government also deployed the first batch of personnel from the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) in Health Response on the Waterborne Disease Outbreak to augment the local government unit’s (LGU) cholera outbreak response team.
The team with 21 PHO personnel consists of doctors, nurses, sanitary inspectors, and support staff.
“The active surveillance will include a house-to-house survey of families to assess hydration status. The PVO, through its DRRM-Health unit, will help set up the Operation Center in the LGU,” Bersaldo said.
Last week, the provincial government provided supplies, medicines, and other logistics to the affected LGU.
Aside from providing medical supplies and additional manpower, Governor Nelson Dayanghirang also ordered concerned offices to assist the families of those who died in the outbreak.
The Sangguniang Bayan of Caraga is yet to deliberate the municipality’s declaration of a state of calamity. (Che Palicte)
(Source: Philippine News Agency)