CEBU CITY – Three fatalities from typhoid fever have been reported in Barili, Cebu.
The Cebu Provincial Health Office (CPHO) said 98 typhoid fever cases have been recorded in 24 out of the 42 barangays in the second-class municipality as of June 23.
The victims are from Barangay Poblacion, Barangay Gunting, and Barangay Sta. Ana.
Poblacion had the most number of cases with 28, followed by Gunting with 21, and Barangay Mantayupan with 12.
Most of the patients are aged 0 to 11-years-old, the CPHO reported.
“Patients manifest with average of 10 to 14 days fever, diarrhea, and stomach pain,” said CPHO.
As of June 25, 19 patients were admitted to the town’s 10-bed infirmary while another 35 were admitted to the Barili District Hospital which has 35 beds.
CPHO personnel inspected the town’s water sources as several residents have fallen ill.
Sixteen water sources tested for e. coli and two water sources failed in the bacteriological test.
It was found out that all waterworks system in the town has no operational permit from the Department of Health.
The CPHO advised residents to treat all water sources 24/7. Waterworks system administrators were told to procure water chlorinators for all reservoirs.
The CPHO also advised putting up “not safe for drinking” notices in reservoirs until these water sources pass the necessary tests.
According to the World Health Organization, typhoid is a potentially fatal bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi.
It is typically transmitted through contaminated food or water. Salmonella Typhi bacteria multiply and spread into the bloodstream after being eaten or drunk.