DOH: Human waste primary cause of typhoid fever

CEBU, Philippines - After Cebu Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez Jr.’s publicized theory that chicken manure caused the outbreak of typhoid fever in the southwestern town of Alegria, the Department of Health (DOH) contradicted his claim by saying that typhoid fever is primarily caused by human waste.

Also yesterday, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia challenged Sanchez to give scientific evidence that the chicken manure distributed by the Capitol to farmers indeed caused the typhoid fever outbreak in Alegria and the diarrhea outbreak in Danao City.

Rennan Cimafranca of the DOH Regional Epidemiological Surveillance Unit (Resu) said that the natural reservoirs of typhoid fever are the feces and urine of infected people, and not chicken manure.

“Based sa among investigation, human waste man ang naka-contaminate. Wa ma’y manok gitipos tingali,” Cimafranca told The FREEMAN.

The Resu came up with the conclusion from the bacteriological tests it conducted on water samples.

“Kay ang poultry man sad, layo ra sa source. Dili ma-acquire sa manok ang tipos,” Cimanfranca said.

However, he said the DOH will still consider Sanchez’s theory of the outbreak.

Typhoid fever is caused by the bacteria salmonella-typhi in contaminated food and water.

A person with typhoid fever will have high temperature that lasts for about two weeks, chills at night, headache, profuse sweating, and diarrhea.

The DOH recently recorded almost 320 cases of typhoid fever in Alegria, particularly in Barangays Santa Filomena and Poblacion.

Cimafranca said Alegria has more cases than Danao City.

“Less na ang outbreak sa Danao, mao amo karon mas gitutukan ang sa Alegria,” he said.

Cimafranca also urged the local health workers to mobilize and to teach the residents the proper chlorination of water. He recommends mineral water for those who can afford, otherwise, he said people should boil their drinking water.

Give Proof

Garcia, meanwhile, is challenging the vice governor to give scientific proof about his claim that it was the chicken manure that the Capitol distributed to farmers that caused the illnesses among people in Alegria and Danao.

If that is proven, then Garcia said they should seriously think about prohibiting contract growers from setting up their chicken farms in Cebu.

“That’s a very jolting statement,” she told reporters yesterday.

Sanchez earlier said that if his theory is proven true, Capitol may be blamed for the outbreak in the southwestern town.

For Garcia, Sanchez was passing judgment on private businesses which have given livelihood to thousands of Cebuanos and contributed to Cebu’s economy.

“I must challenge him, end this confusion. Are you a public official or are you a private businessman or are you in public service for your private interest? Answer me that. He continues to be a very confused man,” Garcia said.

Provincial Agriculturist Dr. Necias Vicoy said that Sanchez is basing his theory on hearsay because for so long, farmers have used chicken manure to fertilize their farms.

Vicoy said that Sanchez just cited opinions but no scientific proof that chicken manure is really dangerous to health.

 But to satisfy Sanchez, Vicoy said they will make the patients undergo laboratory test to see if chicken manure caused the outbreak.

Sanchez, a civil engineer by profession, earlier requested the office of the governor to have her staff check on the report.

Capitol consultant Rory Jon Sepulveda described Sanchez as “alarmist.” Garcia, meanwhile, branded him as “marketing oriented.”

Sanchez’s family is involved in the business of health drinks and products using lacto bacillus bacteria.

Sanchez recently opposed a move of the Provincial Board commending Garcia for taking part in the Governors’ Summit Against Climate Change in the United States.

The resolution to commend Garcia was sponsored by Board Member Thadeo Ouano, which triggered discussion of organic products during the session.

Sanchez had opposed the move to commend Garcia, saying no less than the Visayas Climate Action Now Network (Visayas-CAN) criticized the governor for allegedly promoting environmentally destructive projects like coal-powered plants and coal ash dumping facility.

Sanchez attacked the organic program of the Provincial Agriculture Office allegedly because the Capitol refused to buy his liquid fertilizer.

The province is giving chicken manure to farmers for free.

Sanchez owns a fertilizer firm promoting organic fertilizers. — with Grace Melanie I. Lacamiento, USJ-R /JPM (FREEMAN)