BAGUIO CITY – The City Epidemiology Surveillance Unit of the City Health Services Office has recorded 1,500 cases of acute gastroenteritis here since December 21 and the city government is investigating to determine the cause.
MAGALONG (Baguio City PIO)
Mayor Benjamin Magalong has met the health emergency team and ordered an intensified investigation to arrest the increase in incidents.
Magalong has asked an action plan to address the emergency, including mass testing of water sources, water delivery companies, and government and private deep wells.
He has tapped the Baguio City Police Office to assist the Baguio City Health Services and Baguio Water District as a force multiplier to speed up the investigation and water testing.
“We need to speed up the investigation, try our best and get results as soon as possible. From the data, we need to identify the common denominator in the incidents to get to the bottom of the problem, determine the cause and origin of the contamination and address this health problem," said Magalong.
This City Health Services Office had earlier warned the people against drinking contaminated water after 350 individuals were treated in hospitals for acute gastroenteritis here since December 21.
READ: https://mb.com.ph/2024/1/9/350-acute-gastroenteritis-cases-recorded-in-baguio
Two-hundred eighteen affected establishments will undergo rapid testing using the Total Dissolved Solid (TDS) tester beginning 11 a.m. on January 10.
Water samples will be obtained from 80 households after 175 incidents were recorded from them. Houses that test positive for contamination will be subjected to confirmatory microbial analysis.
An establishment with the highest number of cases has been issued a sanitary order and ordered to carry out extensive cleaning and flushing of its water containment and conduct a re-examination before resuming operation.
Food establishments with reported cases have been instructed to refrain from serving filtered tap water and only serve purified water to their customers.
The BWD is testing 67 water sources to aid in the investigation. The Sanitation Division is conducting a review of various water refilling stations identified in the current cases.
Magalong warned the reported sources of contaminated water to cooperate in the analysis for immediate action. This directive was made as blanket advice to all food establishments in this city whether it has a case or not.