Cholera outbreak in Tacloban kills 4, downs 192

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines — Four persons died while 192 fell ill due to cholera in this city as of Wednesday.

The Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit of the Department of Health (DOH) Eastern Visayas office said the fatalities were a four-month-old girl from Barangay Abucay, a 12-year-old boy from Barangay 106 and two men aged 68 and 71 from Barangay 39-Calvary Hill.

Eighty-five of the patients were taken to the East Visayas Regional Medical Center and Tacloban City Hospital.

Romulo Albornoz, DOH assistant regional director, said 80 of the cases were classified as suspected cholera, seven were found cholera-positive in rapid diagnostic tests and 10 were confirmed cholera based on culture tests.

City health officer Danilo Ecarma said most of the cases were reported in Barangay 106-Sto. Nino and nearby resettlement sites.

The city health office tested water samples of suppliers and refilling stations to trace the source of contamination.

Initial results showed that half were positive for e-coli.

A refilling station in Barangay 106, which is owned by a foreigner, is among the water suppliers that failed the test.

Leyte Metropolitan Water District general manager Ronnie Corneco confirmed that the operation of the Cebu-based water supplier had been suspended.

It was learned that the company has not been issued a sanitation permit.