- CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Bacolod City Health Office Sunday reported 15 confirmed cholera and 239 cases of Acute Gastroenteritis (AGE), with 10 AGE related deaths from Sept. 1 to Nov. 5 this year.
CHO head, Dr. Ma. Carmela Gensoli said the confirmed cholera were logged in barangays Alijis and Banago with three cases each, Handumanan, Granada, and Sum-ag, with two cases each, and one each in barangays 40, Mansilingan, and Tangub.
There was no cholera death, or any death confirmed with stool culture for cholera, recorded for the period, she added.
An AGE related death, meanwhile, was any patient who died, either at home or in a hospital, due to acute gastroenteritis, but with no confirmatory/laboratory stool exam or culture, Gensoli explained.
A cholera patient is one with acute watery diarrhea for three days or more, coupled with vomiting, abdominal pain and fever, who may be admitted, or consulted as OPD (Outpatient Department) case, and with stool culture yielding a Vibrio cholera organism, she added.
A Bacolod City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit data showed that clustering of confirmed cholera was noted only in Brgy. Alijis, affecting three to five household members. Gensoli earlier declared a cholera outbreak in the barangay.
She said that all cholera patients have recovered, and noted that personal hygiene and environmental sanitation, specifically garbage management and human waste disposal, contributed to the cases of cholera and AGE.
Meanwhile, a report released by Dr. Grace Tan, head of the CHO Environmental Sanitation Division, Nov. 6 showed that average number of AGE cases per week in September was 28, and 25 last month. Three to 12 percent of AGE turned out to be cholera, it added.
Barangays with 10 and above AGE cases from Sept. 1 to Nov. 5 included Mansilingan, Singcang, Taculing, Tangub, Banago, Vista Alegre, Alijis, Cabug, Estefania, Sum-ag, and Villamonte, the CHO said.
Meanwhile, the CHO noted an inadequate supply of water for domestic use, either from PrimeWater-Baciwa or deep well, and residents of affected barangays tend to store water in a container which frequently gets contaminated even with use of water ladle.
All sources for drinking water come from a water refilling station (WRS), but 80 percent is resold in an outlet, with contents being transferred to personal container/s without appropriate cleaning, it added.
The CHO recommends the 3S, or Sustainable, Secured, adequate Supply, towards safe water, and for everyone to practice personal hygiene, environmental sanitation, and proper garbage management, Gensoli said.
She also said that the Local Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Committee should convene regularly, and regulate the quantity and quality of drinking water, both from public and private water systems; as well as reorient/update water refilling station owners/refillers/vendors of their roles and responsibilities in ensuring safe and potable drinking water.
There should also be regular monitoring and random sampling of water sold in WRS.
Gensoli also said that from Sept. 1 to Nov. 4, the city sanitation inspectors inspected 262 WRS. Those with sanitary permit from January to Oct. 20 reached 240, while WRS with Mayor’s Permit/Business Permit, from January to Nov. 4 numbered 169./CGC
