Mandaluyong congressman’s daughter dies from infection

A 19-year-old daughter of Mandaluyong City Rep. Benhur Abalos died Friday night from complications brought about by an Escherichia coli bacterial infection.

Ciara Marie Abalos, one of a set of identical twins, died at 10 p.m. at the Cardinal Santos Memorial Medical Center. in San Juan.

Her remains lie at the residence of her grandfather, Commission on Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr., on Kanlaon street in Barangay Highway Hills, Mandaluyong.

"It’s very painful. It is usually the parents who die first. But in my case, it is us who will be seeing our child being buried. And she is my eldest child," Benhur told The STAR, his voice made hoarse by grief.

Ciara was an incoming third-year student at the De La Salle University in Manila, taking up a degree in management.

Ciara was reported to be at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on her way to the United States last Wednesday, accompanied by her grandfather, when she complained of chills. She was not allowed to leave.

The next day, Ciara developed a high fever and was rushed to the hospital. Despite doctors’ efforts to save her, Benhur said she died after 12 hours in the hospital.

Her death certificate indicates that she was infected with E. coli bacteria. Sources said Ciara suffered from internal hemorrhage and her vital organs were swollen.

A doctor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Ciara may have taken food or drink contaminated with E. coli, which eventually invaded her intestines. He said the onset of infection starts with diarrhea.

According to the Merck Manual of Medical Information, some bacteria — including certain strains of E. coli — invade the intestinal lining and damage underlying cells, causing ulcerations that bleed and allow a considerable loss of fluid containing proteins, electrolytes and water.

Though most strains of E. coli are relatively harmless, E. coli O157:H7 causes hemorrhagic colitis — a type of gastroenteritis — by producing a toxin that causes sudden bloody diarrhea and sometimes other serious complications. The toxin damages the intestinal lining and, if absorbed into the bloodstream, can affect other organs such as the kidneys.

This strain appears in the intestines of healthy cattle. Outbreaks can be caused by eating undercooked beef, drinking non-pasteurized milk, or ingesting food or water contaminated by sewage or animal waste. Hemorrhagic colitis, which can affect people of all ages, can manifest with severe abdominal cramps that begin suddenly along with watery diarrhea that becomes bloody within 24 hours. The diarrhea usually lasts one to eight days.

About five percent of people infected with E. coli O157:H7 develop the uremic-hemolytic syndrome, a life-threatening condition. Its symptoms include anemia caused by the breakdown of red blood cells, a low platelet count, and sudden kidney failure. These symptoms, which typically appear in the second week of illness, are usually preceded by rising body temperature. — With Delon Porcalla