Bohol diarrhea outbreak victims continue to rise

The number of victims from the diarrhea outbreak in Loon, Bohol continues to rise as more residents were brought to the hospital, the Department of Health confirmed yesterday.

DOH regional director Susana Madarietta said at least 26 persons were admitted to the Congressman Natalio Castillo Memorial Hospital due to the disease, making it to at least 90 patients who are currently confined in different hospitals in the province.

Yesterday, about 63 patients were admitted to the Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital and the Loon District Hospital due to severe gastroenteritis.

Two victims were earlier reported to have died of the disease. Most of the victims were from the villages of Sandingan, Basak and Cogon Norte of the town.

Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit nurse Reynan Cimafranca said initial findings of their investigation showed that there is a presence of amoeba in the water and stool samples that they have taken from the area.

But Cimafranca said there are patients who did not execute the same findings, prompting them to dig dipper into the real cause of the incident.

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

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

Cimafranca also stressed that they have reminded health workers of the place to always report any similar incident and to always remind the residents to sterilize and chlorinate their drinking water.

He said they have already been giving assistance to the patients like intravenous fluids and other medicine.

Last Monday, the municipal officials of Loon had declared their town under a state of calamity.

The DOH is expected to release on Monday the result of its examination on the water used by the residents. Initial tests showed that the contaminated water was the cause of the diarrhea outbreak. - Jasmin R. Uy