The Department of Health (DOH) recorded 3,729 cholera cases since the start of this year, more than double from the number of cases recorded in 2021.

DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said only 976 cases of cholera were recorded last year.

This year’s figure so far is “282 percent higher compared to the cases we’ve reported during the same time period in 2021,” said Vergeire.

Most of the cholera cases were from Eastern Visayas, Davao region, and Caraga, said Vergeire.

From Aug. 28 to Sept. 24 alone, the DOH recorded 258 cases. Most of these cases were from Eastern Visayas, Bicol region, and Western Visayas.

The DOH has recorded a total of 33 deaths related to cholera since January, said Vergeire.

“May mga namamatay kasi kapag ang cholera ay hindi naagapan, nagkakaroon ng severe dehydration ang mga pasyente lalong lalo na kung ang mga pasyente na may cholera ay immunocompromised or vulnerable sila (There are people who die due to cholera because if it is not treated early, patients develop severe dehydration, especially if the patients with cholera are immunocompromised or vulnerable),” she said.

Vergeire said the “most common age group that are affected with cholera would be five to nine years old. And most common cause would be, of course, the unsafe drinking water.”

“We know that tag-ulan ngayon, maraming pagbaha, maraming napupunta rin sa mga evacuation centers natin (Currently, we know that it is rainy season, there is a lot of flooding, and many people also go to evacuation centers), and because of this kind of calamity, yung water systems natin mostly affected lagi (our water systems are mostly always affected),” she said.

Despite the high number of cases, Vergeire said cholera cases are still “manageable.”

“Sa ngayon, wala pang nagdedeklara ng mga local governments kasi manageable pa naman yung mga nakukuha nilang kaso sa ngayon (Right now, no local governments have declared yet because their cases are still manageable),” said Vergeire.