Cholera kills 4, downs 50 in Samar

Four people were killed and 50 others were hospitalized during a cholera outbreak in Northern Samar at the height of typhoon "Auring," Health Undersecretary Ethelyn Nieto said yesterday.

Nieto, however, said the outbreak is now "very much under control" because health experts promptly acted on it.

The victims, mostly children, are residents of two barangays, including Nambutak, in Palapag town.

"There’s nothing to worry now. The patients have been rehydrated and given antibiotics. The water has been chlorinated and those who were not given (chlorine solution) have been advised to boil their drinking water," Nieto said.

She said the victims started falling ill on March 15, but the cases peaked three days later.

"It was very explosive in nature... But we were able to contain it immediately," she said.

The residents source their water from deep wells. Laboratory tests on water samples showed they were contaminated with the vibrio cholerae bacteria.

Cholera is characterized by the sudden onset of frequent painless and watery stools, vomiting and sunken eyeballs, wrinkles and dry skin that indicate rapid dehydration.