Initial findings on Loon outbreak due tomorrow

Department of Health officials will be in Loon town, Bohol tomorrow to present the initial findings of the agency's investigation on the outbreak that downed more than a hundred residents there last Tuesday.

Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit nurse Reynan Cimafranca said that initial findings of the investigation that they had conducted showed that there is presence of amoeba in the water and stool samples they had taken.

But Cimafranca also said that there are some patients who did not execute the same findings which is why "they will have to dig deeper into the real cause of the incident."

"The available facility there in their hospital could only detect parasites, but not smaller bacteria which is why we have to bring some samples to our office," he said.

He added that the laboratory findings of the samples will come out within five days.

Cimafranca added that so far the admission of patients in the hospital of said town has already slowed down. To recall, 60 patients were admitted at the Loon District Hospital, while the other 20 were taken to the Gallares Memorial Hospital in Tagbilaran City.

Cimafranca also said that they have reminded health workers of said place to always report any similar incident and to always remind the residents to purify their drinking water by bringing to a boil or through chlorination.

He said that they have already administered intravenous fluids to patients and provided other medicines they needed.

A three-year-old girl and a 57-year-old woman succumbed to dehydration after suffering severe gastroenteritis caused by amoebic bacteria.

The municipal officials of Loon already placed their town under a state of calamity since Tuesday. - Jasmin R. Uy/MEEV