The Bacolod City Epidemiology Surveillance Unit said Wednesday, Sept. 28, it recorded 15 cases of watery diarrhea and one confirmed case of cholera by stool culture.
Results of the water samplings done in barangays Mansilingan and Singcang showed “no growth of enteropathogens”, or the bacteria that cause diarrhea and other intestinal problems, the report added.
Dr. Grace Tan, head of the Environmental Sanitation Division of the City Health Office, said that, as of Sept. 27, they also inspected 142 water refilling stations, and 81 were found to have sanitary permits.
The 61 with no permits were recommended to stop operations pending the conduct of water potability and to secure necessary permits.
Tan urged the public to ensure that water used for drinking is safe, and to ask assistance from their barangays to chlorinate community water sources, as one way to prevent water-borne diseases.
Observe and practice sanitation at all times, through proper waste disposal; promote zero open defecation; wash hands as often while preparing food, before and after eating, after changing diapers, or caring for the sick or pets; wash vegetables and fruits well, avoid contact of raw foods with cooked ones, and cook food thoroughly, the CHO advisory said.
“Seek early treatment if bowel movement is more than three times a day, and with vomiting,” it stressed.
The BCESU also reported Wednesday 791 dengue cases with 10 deaths, which is 217.7 percent higher than the 249 with three deaths recorded last year.
Barangays with clustering of cases, from Aug. 27 to Sept. 17, included Mansilingan, Taculing, Tangub, Singcang, Vista Alegre, Handumanan, Bata, Mandalagan, Alijis, Cabug, Estefania, Sum-ag, and Villamonte.
Mansilingan remained as a hotspot area for dengue, and with the highest cases at 102, followed by Taculing – 61, Estefania – 56, Tangub – 55, Singcang – 50, Villamonte – 47, Alijis – 44, Sum-ag – 39, Mandalagan – 39, Cabug – 38, Handumanan – 31, Bata – 29, Granada – 24, Vista Alegre – 22, and Banago with 21 cases./CGC
