37 typhoid cases reported in Borbon

CEBU, Philippines - At least 37 cases of typhoid fever have been reported this week in two barangays of Borbon town in northern Cebu.

Personnel from the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) of the Department of Health in Central Visayas were sent to Barangays Lugo and Clavera since Tuesday to assess the situation.

Despite the number of cases, a laboratory confirmation will determine the declaration of an outbreak even if this is the first time Borbon has encountered such disease.

RESU-7 chief Rennan Cimafranca said the number of cases as of Tuesday was 37 but with additional cases yesterday, health authorities have yet to finalize the figures.

“Alarming ang situation considering the number of cases. Plus wala pa tay history ani nga sakit dinhi nga town. Unusual ang increase of cases. We are reviewing the root cause,” Cimafranca told The Freeman.

The reported typhoid cases were in two barangays, Lugo and Clavera, located along the north Cebu road roughly five kilometers from the interior town proper.

“As of yesterday (Tuesday), there are 37 cases. Four were said to be admitted in Cebu City and the rest are outpatient consulted at the rural health unit,” Cimafranca said.

Cimafranca led the team that has been gathering data and blood samples for laboratory confirmation of the suspected typhoid cases.

“The patients were experiencing signs of typhoid. More than three days fever, mga classic symptoms like severe headache, sakit sa tiyan, di ganahan mokaon, naay uban nagkalibanga,” Cimafranca explained.

As of 12 noon yesterday, they have already extracted 10 blood samples from suspected typhoid fever patients and results will be in today.

The Integrated Provincial Health Office has already sent a sanitary inspector and two other personnel Tuesday to join the DOH team.

IPHO chief Cynthia Genosolango said that the water samples from the two barangays tested positive of the presence of coliform bacteria. This type of bacteria is always present in the digestive tracts and wastes of animals, including humans.

“But we still have to do further test but basically in plain language, this means nga potentially contaminated with fecal matter gyod ang atong water source,” Genosolango told The Freeman.

Genosolango said they have already administered chlorine granules into the water source for disinfection. Another team will be sent today to the town to verify reports of contaminated water sources in the nearby barangays.

“Our PESU team needs to make pilot or initial evaluation sa location and try to look around. I-desperse nato sila sa different areas,” Genosolango added.

Though IPHO cannot declare a typhoid outbreak in Borbon town, Genosolango assured that they will contain the situation as fast as possible. She urged the public to be cautious in ingesting water from contaminated sources.

“Kinahanglan i-boil gyud. The complications sa typhoid fever which could be life threatening will be inflammation of a portion of small intestine. It can rapture and then blood goes to the entire body and later become systemic infection,” she said.

Borbon Mayor Bernard “Butch” Sepulveda said that the typhoid fever cases started this week.

“Duda namo, tungod ni sa kainit sa panahon unya kalit miulan,” Sepulveda told The Freeman.

As defined by World Health Organization, typhoid fever is a bacterial disease caused by salmonella typhi.

It is characterized by high fever, malaise, headache, constipation or diarrhea, rose-colored spots on the chest, and enlarged spleen and liver.

Transmission of disease could be through ingestion of food and drink contaminated by feces or urine of infected people. — /FPL (FREEMAN)