Health officials declare Typhoid outbreak in Badian

CEBU, Philippines - Health officials have declared an outbreak of typhoid fever in Barangay Calangcang, Badian town due to the rising cases reported since the past few days.

Dr. Rennan Cimafranca, chief of the Regional Epidemiological Surveillance Unit-7, said at least 44 cases of typhoid fever were reported in the town as of yesterday.

Cimafranca said 11 cases were recorded at Badian District Hospital and the Rural Health Unit.

However, the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) reported only 29 cases as of yesterday afternoon with five hospital admissions.

“Gihashasan na sa atong MHO (municipal health office), ang uban suspected cases lang,” said IPHO chief, Dr. Cristina Giango.

But both health officials agreed that there was an unusual increase in the number of typhoid cases in the area.

Cimafranca said Badian has no outbreak of typhoid fever before, which made them to consider the current incident as epidemic.

He is hoping that there will be no additional cases.

Cimafranca has asked the RHU of Badian to conduct clinic in the area for patients who could not afford to go to the town proper for medication.

Although Barangay Calangcang is far from the town proper, he urged residents to have their patients consulted by doctors.

Giango said that RHU and IPHO personnel already conducted clinic in Barangay Calangcang, giving medicines to the affected families.

Cimafranca warned that the water from the spring in the area is not yet safe for drinking, saying that disinfectants and chlorine solutions are now being used.

He said there is a need to improve and rehabilitate the water system in the barangay.

In the meantime, Cimafranca said residents should boil the water from the spring if they want to drink it.

Giango said that there is no available chlorinator that can be installed at the water source, adding that the reservoir has to be cleaned.

The IPHO is now conducting a laboratory testing to determine the cause of the outbreak.

A P35 million water work system is being invested by the Abejo Water Corp. to bring potable water to the residents in Badian.

The pipe-laying works had started last week.

In July last year, a diarrhea outbreak that downed more than 150 people prompted the municipal government to enter into a deal with AWC.

AWC is targeting to complete the project before the year ends. —/LPM (FREEMAN)