Diarrhea kills child, downs 17 others

ILOILO CITY, Philippines  – One year-and-eight-month-old boy died of dehydration due to diarrhea at the hospital where 18 persons, almost half of them children, were treated after drinking water that was initially believed to be contaminated by pesticide.

Reports had it that the patients, who experienced vomiting and loose bowel movement, are now confined at the Calinog District Hospital in Calinog town of Iloilo.

The Municipal Health Office confirmed the death of the child, from Brgy. Dalid of Calinog, who was one of the victims. His two siblings and their father, Larry, are also presently confined in the same hospital for the same illness.

Aside from them, nine other people from Brgy. Bado, also of Calinog and one each from the towns of Lambunao, Dueñas, Bingawan and Tapaz in Capiz were also brought to the same medical facility due to similar ailment.

A radio report said the victims from Barangay Bado got their drinking water from the same source. Residents believed the victims were poisoned when they drank water from the deep well they thought was contaminated by pesticide, carried by floodwaters caused by typhoon Ramon.

Results of examination conducted by the MHO however showed the victims were inflicted with amoeba and e-coli bacteria.

MHO’s Frauline Casiple said six of the patients were positive for amoeba bacteria, five had e-coli bacteria and the rest are still undergoing laboratory tests. She added the cases were recorded since October 14 and, as of yesterday, only one of the patients was discharged from the hospital.

“During our inspection of the place where the victims live, we observed that there is really a problem on sanitation and their water source,” Casiple said, adding that the deep well where most residents of Brgy. Dalid get their drinking water is not covered and located near a pig pen.

The MHO’s inspection team also noticed that many residents do not have sanitary toilets and their area has no proper drainage.

Casiple said residents were advised to chlorinate and boil first their drinking water to eliminate the bacteria.

Calinog Mayor Alex Centena said they have always been campaigning for cleanliness in the barangays for residents to stay away from diseases. He added that the family of the boy who died was already told to process his death certificate for financial assistance from the municipal government.  (FREEMAN)