Health officials have confirmed that contaminated water sources in Guihulngan City , Negros Oriental had led to the recent diarrhea outbreak there that left 10 people dead and 120 others admitted to the hospital for treatment.

A report from the Regional Epidemiologist Surveillance Unit in Region 7 has confirmed that a number of water sources in Guihulngan are contaminated with harmful organisms, such as the Vibrio spp. bacteria that causes cholera, an acute diarreal illness.

Dr. Socrates Villamor of the Department of Health in Negros Oriental disclosed that water bacteriology tests results showed that three water sources in Guihulngan were found positive of fecal organisms.

These are the reservoirs in Magsaysay, Bebe and Poblacion.

Rectal swab samples also showed that six out of 10 were positive of the Vibrio spp. bacteria, Villamor added.

From June 19 to July 12, the DOH documented 10 deaths and 120 admission cases at the Guihulngan district hospital due to acute diarrhea, he said.

Patients who came down with the illness were aged between 5 months and 69 years, with 51 percent of the total number being females, the RESU-7 report said.

Common signs and symptoms of the patients were diarrhea, vomiting, mucoid stool and abdominal cramps.

The cases were distributed in several barangays in Guihulngan, with eight villages having the most number, namely, T-Hill, T-Beach, P. Zamora, Magsaysay, McKinley, Poblacion, Bateria and Culasi.

Patients were found to have been using water from undeveloped water sources such as shallow springs and dug wells, Villamor said.

He said the contaminated water sources could have been most likely aggravated by heavy rains and flooding at the height of the onslaught of Typhoon Frank.

The DOH is now highly recommending to the local waterworks management of Guihulngan the immediate rehabilitation of its water distribution systems; immediate installation of chlorinator in every water source; conduct of regular periodic check of residual chlorine level; and periodic screening for the presence of coliforms from the water source to the household taps.

Recommendations for the local government unit of Guihulngan include intensified information and health education activities on the treatment, prevention and control of diarrheal diseases and personal hygiene in the community; advise public to boil or chlorinate their drinking water especially in areas using undeveloped water sources; strict monitoring of other sources of drinking water; and consider establishing a City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit. *JG

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