43 people down as diarrhea outbreak hits 12 Davao villages

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Health officials in Davao City sounded alarm bells over an outbreak of diarrhea that sent several dozen people to hospitals since late last week.

The diarrhea outbreak started on Friday, July 15, in Davao’s Toril District.

The City Health Office (CHO) counted at least 43 people brought to various hospitals in Davao as of Sunday night, July 17.

The hospital patients were as young as six months to 44 years, and at least one was diagnosed with amoebiasis. 

Dr. Ashley Lopez, city health officer, said about a dozen villages, mostly in the Toril District, were adversely affected.

Lopez said a CHO team has been dispatched to the district to investigate the possible source and cause of the outbreak.

He said health authorities suspected it was a case of water contamination as a result of flooding from incessant rains in Davao for more than two weeks, or contaminated street food.

City hall suspended the sale of street food in all of Toril as a precautionary measure in the aftermath of the outbreak.

The CHO has started collecting specimens from the patients, and water samples for laboratory tests.

“The specimens collected have been sent to Southern Philippines Medical Center’s laboratory,” said Lopez.

Davao Mayor Sebastian Duterte ordered social workers to do the rounds and see if city hall could extend financial aid to the patients’ families.

In a statement on Sunday, the Davao City Water District (DCWD) said all its chlorination facilities were fully working and that the city’s tap water supply had chlorine residuals within the normal limit of 0.8 parts per million, enough to work against inactive bacteria-causing waterborne diseases such as diarrhea. 

The DCWD said it was also taking samples from its water distribution network for extensive tests.

“DCWD has protocols in place to ensure that the quality of water it provides to the customers passes the parameters of the Philippines National Standards for drinking water. It maintains the use of gas chlorine in controlled doses to treat water and ensure it is safe for consumption,” read part of the DCWD statement. 

In the meantime, Davao’s health officials urged residents to avoid drinking tap water or boil it before intake as a precaution while the investigation is ongoing.

“Soon as the water boils, let it stay boiling for at least a minute or 10 minutes at the maximum,” Lopez said.

He said those with symptoms of diarrhea should also make sure they stay hydrated.

“Add a pinch of salt to the water to serve as electrolytes,” he said. 

Meanwhile, those who already find it difficult to manage the diarrhea symptoms should seek medical help, Lopez added. – Rappler.com