• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
It was a cholera, not amoebiases, outbreak in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management officer Joe Recalex Alingasa revealed yesterday.
Citing findings of the Department of Health Epidemiology Bureau, Alingasa said the Research Institute of Tropical Medicines (RITM) confirmed that seven of the 22 specimens they sent, tested positive for vibrio cholera.
Vibrio cholerae bacteria causes acute diarrheal illness.
The DOH earlier questioned the declaration of a state of health emergency by Mayor Renato Gustilo in San Carlos City, following admission of numerous patients into hospitals, reportedly for treatment for amoebiases. The state of health emergency was already lifted by Gustilo.
DOH sent a team of epidemiologists from Manila to conduct rectal swabbing of patients, which were sent to RITM for testing
Alingasa noted that the characteristics of amoebiases appears to be similar to cholera.
He admitted that the laboratory of the San Carlos City Hospital can only detect amoebiases bacteria, but not the bacteria that causes gastroenteritis.
While amoeba contamination spread to 18 San Carlos City barangays, Alingasa disclosed that gastroenteritis cases have already gone down, although a 54-year-old resident died last week from waterborne disease.
“It is still not clear where the illness started but we are regularly conducting a weekly monitoring and water analysis of all water refilling stations,” he added.
Alingasa further said that the San Carlos City Waterworks Department also conducts chlorination on its water system to ensure that there are no bacteria in the water coming out of its water pipes.*
